The Jigsaw Puzzle
by spikedsakura
Summary: Cursed by a powerful goddess, Sesshoumaru is forced to team up with Kagome in search of pieces of a jigsaw puzzle to save their fates. Simple? Not exactly..especially if it means traveling to different worlds and who knows..sparks could fly..or die out.
1. Chapter 1

Title: **The Jigsaw Puzzle**

A/N: This is my first fanfic so it might not be the best ever. I'll just make my way through with this story since I haven't made a plot whatsoever (unless you count the one I have in mind…which doesn't hold too promising...; ) Well..enough of my blabbering. Enjoy!

Oh yeah…one more thing..this is supposed to be an S/K story, but since I tend to be bipolar or I have short-term memory, it is unknown whether the plot of this story will change or whatnot. It might seem like I/K at first, but please, just bear with meh! I love you. Hehe.

(whew, that was no quick summary!Damn.)

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha nor will I ever come close to owning Inuyasha unless the great Rumiko Takahashi passes it down to me or I win the lottery and buy it all for myself. :sigh:**

* * *

Quick Summary: Sesshoumaru has headed for the worst; he has intercepted a powerful goddess by making her angry therefore he must now face the consequences. His life would now be a living hell and his fate was doomed to eternal damnation as well. However, he was given an opportunity to swerve away from that destiny. He has to travel to different time periods in order to acquire the missing pieces of a….what's this? A jigsaw puzzle? On top of that, the goddess had chosen his bastard half-brother's wench to be his comrade and only confidante along this journey. Would it turn into an exciting adventure that could not only lead to Sesshoumaru learning compassion and respect, but also love? Would Kagome help him see the light at the end of the tunnel and lead him to the depths of his soul? Or would everything go upside down and have both Sesshoumaru and Kagome's fates be sealed with misery? Read and find out!

* * *

Symbols (what they mean)

_Italic Text – either flashback, or what the person is thinking  
_**Bold text – something important is being said/emphasize something  
**Normal text – currently speaking  
Anything with : - action/something's being done  
anything with ' ' - thoughts  
anything with " " – currently being said

* * *

Chapter 1

**_Current Setting: Sengoku Jidai._**

It was mid-morning in the time era known as Sengoku Jidai, in other words, The Warring States Period in Japan. In the middle of a clearing, there is something jutting out of the evergreen ground. From an outsider's view, one might say it's shaped like a rectangular box with a whole in the middle, nothing special, but to others who are knowledgeable of this…._thing_, it is referred to as the Bone-Eater's Well. Sure, it might not have the features of a modern well nor is it a well that holds water, but rather a well that connects the Sengoku Jidai to the present world: Modern-day Japan.

Soon this mysterious well emits a light blue-ish color from within and it is seconds later when we see a young girl—no, a teenage girl around the ages of 17 or older, stick her head out from the wooden well. She has ebony black hair that reaches down to the middle of her tiny back, cream colored skin, a curvaceous body, slender legs that are unusually exposed in daylight-- pretty much what one can expect from a model. However, there was just one aspect about her that distinguished her as being different from everybody else; something that brought out her beauty and served as windows to her soul—her azure eyes. This girl provokes many and most certainly does not fail to attract attention, especially from the guys. In fact, she's had most, if not all the guys back at her school falling for her beauty.

All except for one….or so she thought.

A silver-haired man with dog-like ears atop his head suddenly appeared out of the bushes and ran towards the god-given beauty resting upon the brims of the Bone-Eater's well. He was a boy of around the age of 17 as well, dressed in a fire red garment that was overly huge for his body type, yet still managed to fit him well. Aside from that, he also had a rusted sword that looks as if it would never survive another day, tucked securely by his side. His silver mane swayed merrily with the wind as he made his way through. It was clearly noted that this man wasn't looking very happy for some reason.

"Hey wench, what took you so long? Get your ass up and get going! We have shards to collect!"

The young girl was almost immediately taken out of her reverie and was not so quick to respond by this comment. '_Ugh. GREEEEAT. Just what I need.'_ she thought. Instead of getting furious, she just sat there with a blank look on her face, clearly bewildered.

However, the man failed to notice the look on the young girl's face as he continued to shout at her, commanding her to get moving.

"HEY!" yelled the silver-haired man "Are you def or something? I said get your lazy ass up and let's GO! We don't have all day to sit around, ya know!"

"I heard you the first time, Inuyasha. No need to yell at me again, JERK." said the girl rhetorically.

"Oh, really? Well if you heard me the first time, then why didn't you do something about it?" answered the silver-haired man also known as Inuyasha.

"UGH! Do I have to explain myself to you? What are you, my mother? Kami, why can't you leave someone alone to sit and enjoy her environment, huh Inuyasha?" yelled the very annoyed girl who was trying to control her anger, but failing miserably.

Covering his sensitive ears, Inuyasha was enraged to all limits. "Feh. I'm not the one who broke the jewel into a million pieces to begin with, y'know! Only stupid idiots like you do that. Kami, if Kikyo was here, I wouldn't be standing here yelling at a dimwit to move! In fact, we would've been on our way already! But no…instead I'm stuck here with your lazy ass listening to your pathetic excuse about nature and whatever. You're so pathetic. You'll never be Kikyo's equal. Not one bit."

And with that said, the girl known as Kagome remained still. Unable to move, she felt her tears welling up, threatening to spill right out. She tried desperately hard not to break down in front of him.

Inuyasha, noticing this sudden change in Kagome's behavior, mentally kicked himself upside the head for saying something he really didn't mean. _'Baka! You shouldn't stick your foot into your mouth next time! Look what you've done. Greeeeeat, more 'osuwari's for me today :sigh:' Apologize, you idiot!_

"Kagome…I……."

"Just shut up, Inuyasha. **SHUT UP!**" said Kagome. Although her face tried to keep on a solid, nonchalant mask, her eyes betrayed her so. The once sky blue eyes of hers now turned into orbs of violent waves crashing upon rocks on a stormy night. Her eyes spoke for her emotions; anger, jealousy, hurt and betrayal.

Inuyasha, on the other hand, seemed rather perplexed. He was taken back by Kagome's sudden anger rising up. Had he offended her that bad?

'_Well, there goes apologizing_…'thought Inuyasha. However, another voice inside his head contradicted his previous thought. '_You idiot, why do you need to apologize? You didn't do anything wrong! You were just pointing out the facts!' _This made Inuyasha's soft side vanish, replaced by more tantalizing words that came out of his mouth. "Don't you shut me up, you bitch! Just because you're Kik—"

Having heard enough from him, Kagome directly cut him off and gave him a piece of her mind. "I know I'll never be as good or as precious as your dearly beloved bitch, but that doesn't give you the right to just walk all over me like I'm a piece of dirt! Why can't you ever see that I try my hardest to meet those standards and when I do accomplished something, it's always overshadowed by your remarks saying Kikyo this Kikyo that…I'm tired of **your **bullshit, Inuyasha! OSUWARIIIIIIII!"

_**:boom:**_

Birds flew high in the air; squirrels ran for safety, and everything accumulated all at once until nothing was heard except the wind brushing against the leaves of the trees surrounding them.

"I wish you could understand.." Kagome choked out "I wish you could just see **me**, Ka-go-me, not someone as Kikyo's shadow.." and with that, she left the clearing, letting her tears silently escape the realm of her eyes and leaving the once aggravated Inuyasha who was now 6 inches below the ground.

* * *

Okay, there's the first chapter! Please R+R and tell me what you guys think. Tell me what I've done wrong and so on and so forth. You guys know the procedure!

Sayonara! Jessiez


	2. Chapter 2

Title: **The Jigsaw Puzzle**

A/N: Muahaha..One chapter done and….:thinks:…a gazillion more to go:clears throat: AHEM…sorry. It's thanksgiving eve and I have nothing better to do so I might as well write chapter 2. Not only that, but is being an ass so it won't let me post my story. Meanie. :cries: Aw, man! I have to wait until "November 26" so that I could post this. I don't know how this story will do once it's out there for others to read, but I'll just hope for the best. I promise I'll try to make it have a bit of fun and action and not just 'ah-you-broke-my-heart-now-go-to-hell :sob:' parts. But hey..I'm a newbie..a rookie…whatever you call someone who's just starting out so what can you expect from me? Having said that, I must go and plot the upcoming events that were left unsolved from the previous chapter! Dun dun dun! Ahh! Please don't kill meh!

Jessiez

**

* * *

Disclaimer: Again, as said in Chapter 1, I am not the rightful owner nor am I the proud creator of Inuyasha. I wish I was both, but unfortunately, I was not blessed with talents that the amazing creator, Rumiko Takahashi, possesses. Therefore, don't sue me!**

* * *

Symbols (what they mean)

_Italic Text – either flashback, or what the person is thinking  
_**Bold text – something important is being said/emphasize something  
**Normal text – currently speaking  
Anything with : - action/something's being done  
anything with ' ' - thoughts  
anything with " " – currently being said

Normal text – currently speakingAnything with : - action/something's being doneanything with ' ' - thoughtsanything with " " – currently being said

* * *

Chapter 2

(A/N: By the way, most of this chapter's going to be flashback, but don't worry, it's part of the plot. It makes everything come together. Trust me. .)

She didn't know where she was going; Kagome just let her feet take her to wherever it was compelled to. She didn't care where, as long as she was away from Inuyasha. She didn't want to be anywhere near him and she just wanted space; a big space to just calm down and let her emotions flow.

As she made her way through, she did not notice two pairs of eyes watching her every move as she made her way through thickets past tree roots and bushes. One of the owner of the two began to speak:

"Naomi, are you sure she's up for this? She looks so vulnerable and weak at this point"

The owner of the voice was met with dead silence; the owner knew what that usually meant.

A few moments later, a smack was heard and was abruptly followed by a growl.

"You bitch" said Maira, the other being that was next to the one who gave the 'wake-up!' call. "What the hell was that for? I was merely rethinking this little plot of yours, Naomi"

"Yeah, well, quit your whining and answer my damn question" replied Naomi. "You think we should go and approach her? She's just had another lecture from that bastard hanyou."

After recovering from the not-so-pleasant distraction from Naomi, Maira focused himself to the subject. "Hmm…..I don't know, Omi. She could just attack us both and kill us if we went to her now. She is a very powerful miko and she has not learned to control her powers at all. If we pull at her strings even more, she'll go ballistic, send her unleashed powers towards us, and fry us both under the sun." He takes a deep breath after he said that all in one breath. He was scared regardless of the fact that he was a god. He continued on. "I think we should give it a few days."

"Oh wow, I never knew you could make wise decisions, Maira. Usually you would be too dumbstruck to even say a word" said Naomi, chuckling in the process.

Maira gave Naomi an evil eye that clearly said 'you'll pay for that remark later'. Naomi, in return, gave a nervous gulp and started to ease his tension.

"Jeez, Maira. Calm down. I was kidding, you know. Someone's high-strung today" said Naomi, as she rolled her eyes.

"I-am-not-high-strung" came the reply from him. He was, in all truth and honesty, anxious about Naomi's little plan that involves this miko and a certain youkai lord. He really didn't know how it would end up and if it would actually work. He just prayed to Kami that Naomi's 'plan' would not fail which would end up killing them both if it did. Not only that, but if something went wrong, they would have to answer to the other gods and goddesses, and the almighty kami as well.

"You really should not lie. You suck at it" said Naomi, who was holding her laughter at the sight of her companion reacting to her comment as if he'd been caught stealing a cookie from the cookie jar.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Tell me, how are you going to get Lord Sesshoumaru and this miko to work together again?" inquired Maira, hoping to change the subject from focusing on him to the current task at hand.

"It's simple! I would place them in front of 'the gate' and alter the coding so that they are sent off to different worlds, but before they leave, I shall give them a jigsaw puzzle and tell them what they have to do. If they are both desperate to return to this land, then they must work together to find the little pieces to this jigsaw puzzle. Once all of it is completed, then they have to figure out the code to the final gate, and voila! They should be back here in no time!" explained an ecstatic Naomi. There was more to it, but she didn't think all the other details were necessary. She had been planning this all along. Let's just say it was her payback for having the taiyoukai treat her with no respect when she asked him for his help. She needed to give him a lesson; a lesson in compassion and respect for others that he would never forget. She started to doze off as she recalled the events of that day.

:Flashback:

_Naomi was in need of help for she was injured during a battle with a strong demon. She ended up killing the unruly demon, but managed to get slashed from the demon's claws. She was bleeding profusely and she could not tend to her wounds for she was weak. Angry at herself for letting her guard down, she couldn't believe that the demon had underestimated her. Despite her anger, she was still content for she was able to slay the demon. _

_As night was approaching, Naomi could feel herself getting weaker, making her prone to any attack. Luckily, she was able to detect another youki around the clearing as she summoned all her powers to attract attention. Soon, she was face-to-face with none other than Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands and one of the strongest demons known to exist. _

_She couldn't help but gawk at his ethereal beauty. He was like a god, just like her, so perfect in every way. His hair swayed along with the voices of the wind, and the light emitted by the moon illuminated him, making him more heavenly than ever. She thought the gods were answering her prayers when her hero came when the damsel was in distress. Oh how she was so utterly wrong at her prediction, as she was soon to find out moments later. _

_As she began open her mouth to let her speak, she found that she could not utter one single word. Damn! It must've been the poison that seeped its way to her open wound from the remains of the demon. Although the youkai ceased to exist, its poison was still strong and could kill anyone in an instant. _

_Sesshoumaru looked at this creature before him with disgust. How could something so weak fool him into thinking it was a powerful youkai to get his hands on and have it screaming bloody murder. He saw how she was struggling to find her voice, yet found none. It made her seem more helpless and weak. Sesshoumaru felt no pity for this creature, nonetheless, this human being. Little did he know that she was indeed a goddess under human disguise to learn more about both humans and youkais that lived in this world. The way Sesshoumaru was acting sure did not give this goddess a good first impression of youkais, more specifically taiyoukais who look so noble and strong._

_Annoyed at having his time wasted over nothing, Sesshoumaru decided to speak up first and engage their so-called 'conversation'. "What brings you to my lands, human wench? Don't you know that a filthy human like you should not be anywhere this far off my lands, nonetheless be this close to this Sesshoumaru?" he said with malice dripping from his voice like venom. _

_Finally, after moments of subduing the poison, Naomi was finally able to speak up. "I mean no harm. I simply ask of you to assist me in tending to my wounds for I have been injured in a severe fight against a neko youkai. If you concede to this, I assure you your reward once I get back to where I originally come from."_

"_Do you think this Sesshoumaru has interest in this reward you speak of by helping you recover? This Sesshoumaru does not stoop low to help a filthy, worthless human bitch like you so if you think that you will see the light of day, you better say your prayers to whatever gods there are out there to let them take your soul to the eternal place when I rid of you once and for all." Sesshoumaru responded, making his hatred and disgust seem more obvious than the stars twinkling above. _

_A look of utmost shock and displeasure was etched across the goddess' face. She was not expecting such rude behavior coming from someone so grand and noble. She had thought that he would assist her with no problem and she was true to her word that he would be rewarded, but no. He simply looked down upon her like she was some piece of garbage smothered with maggots and flies. _

'_Ah, so you seem to have a disliking with human beings, eh Lord Sesshoumaru?' thought Naomi. She had no idea as to why he would hate such creatures when here he was, standing right in front of her, possessing almost the same features, but only having a few markings here and there which distinguished him as different from the humans. 'I wonder if he's going to say more. He seemed to be contemplating on something, according to that stoic, arrogant, pompous face of his!' she pondered. _

_Indeed, he did proceed to berate her like she was some imp, confirming Naomi's previous thoughts. He spoke in a deadly, menacing tone "Tell me, human wench. Why should I aid you in recovery when you haven't proven any worth to this Sesshoumaru. You simply present yourself to the Lord of the Western Lands as a weak mortal, unable to defend yourself from the battles you fight with weak youkais. You are not worth of my time nor my healing powers therefore I shall take my leave and leave you to rot in this place. I'm sure the carnivorous creatures that lurk within these woods would take a liking in you for you present yourself as a healthy meal in which they could enjoy having. I am not warning you with the dangers of the forest, wench, but rather to feed your fear. This Sesshoumaru shouldn't worry about cleaning up for these creatures within my forest are more than willing to do the work. They will salvage your body like there was no tomorrow and before you know it, nothing would be left of you." Sesshoumaru then did something that put the already surprised goddess by having an evil smirk plastered upon his lips._

_Naomi was boiling up with anger at this arrogant demon lord. She was not accustomed to being treated this low and his sneering remarks were making her mad to no end. She would teach this son-of-a-bitch-no-good-excuse-for-a-demon-lord bastard how to treat others other than his kind to treat them with compassion and respect. _

_Seeing the reaction that the girl displayed, Sesshoumaru was pleased that his words brought such fear in her. He went about his way, but stopped as he gave the injured ningen a quick glance and sent her one of his most death-inviting smirks. 'The look on her face is priceless' thought Sesshoumaru. Just as he was about to step back into the forest, he heard the ningen call out to him. _

"_Lord Sesshoumaru. Taiyoukai and Lord of the Western Lands. It's a shame how you bow down so low as to insult those not of your kind. You are one of Inutaishio's sons, and the elder of that, if I recall correctly. I am so utterly shocked and highly disappointed by your display of attitude. I expected you to be as kind-hearted and compassionate as your father yet you are **nothing** like your father. You aren't even as close to how he was when it comes to strength. You have surely disgraced yourself and your entire bloodline in front of me by talking in such manner. Do you even have the highest clue as to whom you are speaking with?" said Naomi with such bitterness that could match the ones the youkai had previously used with his tone of voice. She was pissed off to no end at his rude behavior and she wasn't going to let him walk away simply like that. Oh no, Naomi had plans for him. _

_Sesshoumaru came to a complete stop at the mention of his father. 'How did this wench know of my father?' thought Sesshoumaru. He was also angered by her reference to him in comparison to his deceased father. 'How dare that wench talk about this Sesshoumaru that way! I shall not spare her life any longer. This Sesshoumaru will make sure of that.' However, he was caught off-guard by her last question. 'Do I know who she is? Is this Sesshoumaru missing something? She's clearly out of her mind. I've had enough of her nonsense.' And with that, he flexed his hand, revealing elongated claws that started to ooze green poison and lunged at the girl, unaware of the changes taking place right in front of his eyes. _

_Sesshoumaru was paralyzed to his spot once he turned around. He did not believe what he was seeing. Right in front of him was no longer that weak, injured, helpless ningen, but rather an angelic figure that floated above the ground. She was in all ways breath-taking. Long, golden hair flowed from her head down her shoulders to her waist. Her skin had a creamy ivory look to it which made it seem soft to the touch. Her eyes were not the same, dark colored ones, but were now as green as jade with a mixture of golden gray lining her pupils. Her dress was made of golden silk, simple yet absolutely stunning. She had markings along the sides of her eyes that made her look like a fairy, when in reality; she was even revered more than a fairy would. Her neck was adorned with a gold necklace which hung a sun with all the rays spreading out toward her collarbone. Standing in front of Sesshoumaru was the ever-beautiful Naomi, goddess of light and salvation. _

_When Naomi was fully transformed, there was no sign of her wound anywhere. She had healed herself and got rid of the blood stains while she was transforming. Now that she had finished, she made sure she had the full attention of the demon lord. After seeing the paralyzed form of the once arrogant bastard, she was pleased to see the shock written all over his face. Now it was her turn to smirk, but not evilly like Sesshoumaru had._

"_I am sure you are wondering as to how I acquired that information about your father. Well, let me inform you, Lord Sesshoumaru of the Western Lands; I am Naomi, goddess of light and salvation. I am the goddess in which many, both human and youkai alike, turn to when they are in the utmost need of my guide and protection. I also determine whether the crimes they've commited in their past lives were grave and whether they shall be forgiven on judgment day. I am one of the main authorities that determine whether one should be permitted into heaven or not. Your previous actions clearly show that you have no remorse whatsoever and you are an arrogant, heartless, lame excuse for a noble youkai bastard who are not worthy of **my** time or attention. You have proven yourself to be useless and deserved to be sent to the pits of hell where you shall never see the light of day. On top of that, I shall make your living days a nightmare by bestowing no light on you and your kingdom, leaving you vulnerable to the attacks of anyone who intends to claim your title, your land, and your life. So you see, you have tempered with the wrong person at the wrong time." Naomi said in a matter-of-fact way. _

_Naomi wasn't finished berating this insolent little pup. "One day, that arrogance of yours is going to get you killed. I can assure you we shall meet when that day comes and I am not going to change my mind about your well being unless……." Naomi trailed off._

'_Hm….maybe this will be a good way to make him learn and understand compassion and respect. Nice one, Naomi!' Naomi complimented herself at her plan. _

_The goddess' silence brought Sesshoumaru back to his current situation. He was contemplating on what this woman in front of him just revealed about his fate and the fate of his kingdom. He could not believe his ears. He refused to believe what she was saying. One part of his mind is screaming 'danger! You bastard, you see? Now you're doomed' while the other said 'relax. She's probably just using this threat of hers to scare you. You can get around this.' However, as much as he wanted to believe his other side that told him that everything would be fine, he knew the latter made more sense and he was, indeed, doomed._

_However, he managed to get his full attention on her when she said 'unless'. Maybe she was thinking of an alternative, or a way to reverse it, or an escape from this fate. She had to have some type of kind heart; afterall, she _is _the goddess of light and compassion so maybe she'll compensate him? It was unknown to Sesshoumaru and he was dying to find out._

"_Unless?" Sesshoumaru repeated. He wanted this wen—ahh—goddess to spit it out already. _

_Naomi was brought back from her musings. She's got it! She wasn't exactly sure how she'll go about it, but at least she has a plan. Hearing the youkai lord ask her inquisitively, she once again reviewed her plan and prepared herself to tell him. He was such an impatient dog._

"_Unless" Naomi began. "Unless you can prove to me that you are not this cold, arrogant, jerk-ass inu youkai, then maybe I can reverse the spell and give your life plenty of blessings and light."_

"_What must this Sesshoumaru do to acquire such fate?" asked Sesshoumaru._

"_First, you must learn how to be compassionate and respect those other than your kind. You must learn how to treat them equally and tend to their needs if ever needed. And to help you do this, I have selected that a human must help you learn, since you have such disdain towards their being." Naomi saw the grimacing face Sesshoumaru gave her as she said the last part. However, she ignored his musings and continued on. "I cannot tell you how it will be done or who that human is, but you will know when you see her by using this." Naomi hands him a talisman of some sort. Sesshoumaru takes the talisman, examines it, and looks back at Naomi, confusion clearly etched on his features. Naomi held her hand out to explain. "This talisman will help tell you whether you have found her. It will glow a blue-ish color when she is around you." Sesshoumaru eyed the apparatus. It looked like crap and was about to crumble on his palm. How was he to use this object when it looks as if it will barely survive a day? _

'_With the numerous amount of ningens walking this earth, how in the heaven's name am I supposed to find her?' Sesshoumaru thought with annoyance. This was much harder than he had originally thought. However, he didn't have to wait long to have his question answered when Naomi said "I am aware that there are a great deal of human females walking about this earth, but I'll give you one clue. She is a very powerful miko and is truly one-of-a-kind. She is grieving for one she loves who does not give his love to her in return. You have to make her overcome that and you must work together to complete this puzzle or else not only will you suffer the consequences ten fold, but she will too. Now mark my word, Sesshoumaru. I am not called the goddess of light and salvation for nothing. If I see a change in you, then this whole curse will be lifted off. I am giving you another chance to compensate so that you may be pardoned from your wrongdoings. I hope you do not take this for granted and use it to your advantage. I wish you well, dear Lord of the Western Lands." And with that said, she vanished right before his eyes, only leaving sparkles and a gush of wind. _

_And so the great Taiyoukai of the West still stood in his spot, perplexity clearly seen on his handsome face. _

"Helllllooooooooooooo?" Maira said while waving his open palm in front of Naomi's face.

Naomi snapped out of her reverie and quickly slapped his hand away. It was beginning to irk her. "What do you want now, Maira?" asked Naomi irritated.

"You were out of it, and I asked you whether you are going to approach the girl or not. How about…..are you even going to interfere?" asked a very impatient Maira.

"That, is my business, and my business alone. However, I shall answer one of your questions. No, I am not going to approach the girl. She will know soon enough." replied Naomi. She really didn't need to get involved. Everything was set. It was like an obstacle course. All she needed to do was instruct them on what to do and off they go! She just hoped the youkai lord wasn't a stupid dimwit like his half-brother and actually figure out the clues she left him that night. Speaking of that night, she felt she was a bit too harsh on the taiyoukai, but her argument was that he deserved it. She was not doing this to gain something from it, but rather, just to teach the taiyoukai a lesson. With that said, she told her companion that they were leaving and soon both disappeared under the sun's rays.

* * *

That's Chapter 2 done! Whew! This is proving to be harder than I thought! Hm….read and review, please! I wanna see what comments this story gets to determine where it goes. Sayonara!

Jessssssss


	3. Chapter 3

Title: **The Jigsaw Puzzle**

A/N: I don't know if this is making sense, and my opinion is not good enough, so comments, people! I was actually thinking about this story as I was doing my laps at the pool today. If I continue with what I intended, then it might take **forever** before this is done. :sigh: oh well. Oh the other hand, I was finally able to post my first 2 chapters (yay:does victory dance:) so it's out in the open! Ahh:freaks: lol just kidding. Here's chapter 3! EnjoY!

Jesssss

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha and I would die of happiness if I did. But that's like…one in 10 million chances so my hopes are pretty much shot. I only own the plot and the characters of Naomi and Maira, people!

* * *

**

Symbols (what they mean)

_Italic Text – either flashback, or what the person is thinking  
_**Bold text – something important is being said/emphasize something  
**Normal text – currently speaking  
Anything with : - action/something's being done  
anything with ' ' - thoughts  
anything with " " – currently being said

* * *

Chapter 3

**_Still in Sengoku Jidai:_**

The sun was starting to descend from its almighty position up in the sky, bringing along darkness as she slowly made her exit. The skies were splashed with all shades of orange, yellow, and red throughout the horizon. The way the sun illuminated the heavenly clouds in the sky could take anyone's breath away. On top of that, the sun's rays touched the surfaces of the running water and the surrounding ground in such way that it could put one's mind at ease. Just off to the right, there is a huge boulder standing grand and tall, where a young maiden looking so distressed and small, sat on top of it.

This young maiden was the one known as Kagome. As she sat alone on the cold rock, she began to ponder on the events that occurred earlier that day; the fight with Inuyasha back at the Bone-Eater's well, the confrontation of a neko youkai demanding for the shards of the Shikon no Tama, also known as the shards of sacred jewel, more infuriating and assaulting verbal abuse from Inuyasha, and to finish the day, the news that Naraku, their malicious fiend, acquired more jewel shards than they suspected. Kagome sometimes wondered how she managed to survive days like this, and how she will fare in the future. Although there are other tasks that she should be doing, such as setting up camp along with her comrades, Sango the taijiya, Miroku the lecherous monk, Shippo, the little fox kitsune and also her adoptive son, and of course, the one-and-only pompous Inuyasha, she pushed that aside to let her have peace. Right now, she's letting herself be soothed by the presence of the trees, the wind, the animals, and the sound of the running water along the bank.

As she stared at her reflection in the water, she couldn't help but let a single tear fall from her eyes. It was no wonder why Inuyasha would never even consider giving her his full attention; she was a wreck compared to Kikyo. Kikyo had it all: the looks, the body, the hair, the face—everything! She even had miko powers that seemed impossible to attain, knowing the fact that she is—well, _was_ a living human. Ever since Kikyo was brought back to life, she had been keeping herself alive by taking half of Kagome's soul, while feeding off the souls of those who passed as well. But still, Kagome still wonders why Inuyasha won't see the fact that although she is the reincarnation of his beloved, she's a completely different person. What was it that Kagome lacked to make him see that? What did it have to take for him to acknowledge that she was in love with him and maybe somehow he might have feelings for her in return? Kami, when, where, how, and **why?**

"Why, Inuyasha? Why do you have to hurt me so? I know you know that I have feelings for you yet you disregard it like it was nothing.." A single tear again descends down her lovely face, void of all happiness and replaced with complete sorrow.

As she pondered on these thoughts, Kagome was unaware of her surroundings and failed to notice another presence around the premises. Little did she know that a pair of big chocolate brown eyes was watching her from behind a small bush. The owner of such eyes empathized with the miko's sorrow for reasons unbeknownst to her. She didn't know what was causing her to be sad, but whatever it was, it also made her feel the same. She wanted to help the miko out of her somber self, but she is too afraid to approach her, knowing the fact that she alone cannot defend herself in case the pretty lady or any other demon lurking around decides to attack. Therefore, she remained at her post behind the small bush she considered as a good hiding spot and continued to observe the pensive miko. The owner of such eyes felt that she would never be spotted from her hiding place when moments later, a green-looking toad youkai carrying a staff with two heads suddenly appeared out of nowhere, causing her to yelp and come out of the bush.

"Jaken-sama! You scared Rin! Be quiet, Jaken-sama! The pretty lady is going to hear us! Shhh!" said the little girl known as Rin. She was, in fact, just a small little girl, merely the age of 8, with a ponytail jutting out from the side of her head. She was the owner of those big, chocolate brown eyes that were filled with curiosity, wonder, and awe. Little Rin was highly energetic and so naïve that it was nearly impossible to get mad at someone as innocent as her.

"I could not care less as to whether or not that human wench you identify as 'the pretty lady' will hear us. You were given orders that you should not wander far from camp or else Lord Sesshoumaru would have both of our heads in an instant! Now get back to camp!" berated the ugly imp of a toad, preferably known as Jaken. He was the faithful servant to Lord Sesshoumaru, the Almighty Taiyoukai of the Western Lands. There wasn't much to praise about his persona or his appearance at all. Jaken was short and plain. Not to mention he's somewhat dull when it comes to taste in garments, which in turn makes him look less attractive. Aside from his appearance, Jaken can be the most annoying creature that ever walked the face of this planet. His overly show of loyalty is irksome most of the time, especially to his Lord Sesshoumaru. It is a mystery why the grand taiyoukai still keeps this imp around.

"But Jaken-sama?" whined little Rin. "Rin likes the pretty lady. Rin wants to go talk to the pretty lady and make her feel better!"

"No, you little insolent child!" replied an annoyed Jaken. "You are to follow Lord Sesshoumaru's orders or else I shall beat you up with my staff. Now listen! This Jaken could care less about some human we—" he stopped himself short after taking a quick glance at the maiden on the boulder. It wasn't just any human girl, but rather it was Inuyasha's wench! Quickly, Jaken started to develop plans as to how Tetsusaiga, the powerful sword that bastard hanyou Inuyasha possesses, would fall into his master's hands using Inuyasha's little wench. He then started mumbling—well, more like, talking to himself which in turn got a puzzled face from Rin who was staring at him.

"Ano, Jaken-sama? Are you alright?" asked Rin inquisitively.

However, her question fell on def ears for Jaken just ignored her question and continued to rejoice at his plan and how Lord Sesshoumaru would be very pleased with his faithful servant once he has delivered Tetsusaiga to him. Little did he know that he was causing much commotion that the young miko noticed something directed towards their hiding spot.

Kagome quickly snapped out of her reverie after hearing voices and movement amongst the bushes. She immediately put her guard back up and took out her bow and quivers of arrows and set an arrow on her bow in case a demon comes out and lunges for her.

'Ugh! Kagome, you're an idiot! Why didn't you notice another presence before? You're such a dimwit for letting your guard down!' thought Kagome. She didn't need more demons attacking her. She's had enough for one day.

Suddenly, the bush started to rustle and a little girl's head poked out of the plant. 'Huh? A girl?' thought Kagome. 'She seems rather familiar…like I've seen her somewhere before…AH wait! I know!' In an instant, memories of that girl came up in her mind. That little girl was no ordinary girl; it was Sesshoumaru's little ward, Rin.

As if on cue, Rin stepped out from her hiding and walked towards Kagome. Upon seeing this, Kagome dropped her guard and put her bow and arrow aside. It seemed that Rin wanted to come and talk to her. Then suddenly, Kagome abruptly stopped herself in the process of putting her armor down. 'If little Rin is here, then that means………….'

"Hello, aren't you the one that travels with Sesshoumaru?" asked Kagome in a soft voice, not wanting to scare the poor girl away

"Hai! My name's Rin! What's yours?" replied Rin cheerfully.

"Ohayou, Rin-chan. My name's Kagome. Say, is Sesshoumaru with you?" Kagome inquired.

"Ah, Sesshoumaru-sama does travel with Rin and Jaken-sama, but Sesshoumaru-sama went somewhere. He told Rin that Rin can play around here, but not to go too far. So, no. Sesshoumaru-sama is not with Rin right now" answered Rin in that same cheery voice.

"Oh, I see." Now Kagome understood. It was no wonder why she didn't really detect any strong youkai presence, but there was a voice from the back of her mind screaming there's a faint one somewhere. If what Rin said was true, then..that other youkai presence she feels would be coming from….

"Come back here you fool! How dare you insult this humble servant to Lord Sessho—" screamed Jaken as he made his grand entrance. He was berating little Rin again, who in turn looked at him with amusement. Kagome was also looking at the toad like he was a maniac and she too was on the verge of laughter.

"What are you human fools looking at?" asked Jaken while waving his hands in the air like a monkey.

"You look funny, Jaken-sama." Rin bursted out in fits of laughter which was soon followed by Kagome's soft chuckles.

Jaken, on the other hand, was not looking too pleased with that comment from Rin. He began to turn slight pink and went after the giggling Rin. Rin, although she was laughing her gut out, saw Jaken quickly approaching her. She hid behind Kagome in hopes that the older girl would protect her.

As if by instinct, Kagome quickly put a barrier up, sending Jaken flying 10 feet across the clearing. It was evident that the little toad hit the barrier **hard** for he was knocked out cold. "Hmph. That's what you get for picking on a little girl." Kagome huffed and placed her hands on her hips. She didn't see the point of Jaken getting all pissy with that. It wasn't even that serious. Sighing, Kagome reached out behind her and pulled little Rin from behind.

"Rin, sweetie, are you alright?" asked Kagome in a very motherly tone.

"Hai, Rin is fine. Rin would like to thank the pretty lady for saving Rin from Jaken-sama. Jaken-sama does that to Rin whenever Sesshoumaru-sama is not around." Rin replied, having a sad look on her face.

Kagome didn't want to see the girl look so sad and did something that shocked both of them; Kagome hugged Rin close to her chest and cradled her in her arms while stroking her hair at the same time. Kagome remembered that Souta used to calm down whenever she did that when he was upset about something. Oh how she missed her little brother.

Rin hugged the girl back and smiled at her with her toothless grin "The pretty lady is really nice. Can Rin come and be with the pretty lady everyday?" Rin asked with hope filling her voice. Kagome couldn't help but adore that lovely smile of hers. She was just too adorable! Now she knew why Sesshoumaru keeps this girl with her. She just brings a smile to everyone's face regardless of the weather or the situation. However, it was unknown to her as to why Jaken would be so evil towards the little girl. Maybe because the little toad was jealous of the attention given to her by Sesshoumaru? That may be the most possible answer. Little Rin did not have any scratches on her whatsoever nor did she seem hurt or abused. It seems as if Sesshoumaru took care of this little girl like she was precious treasure. That's something truly amazing if that was the case.

Rin let go of her hold on Kagome to ask her about what she saw earlier. Without hesitation, Rin let out the words that were on her mind from the moment she saw Kagome on the boulder. "Rin has a question for the pretty lady." Rin stated, hoping this would get the attention of the girl.

Kagome heard the little girl ask her something. "Yes, Rin?" she responded in a sweet voice, soothing her. Kagome also noticed the terminology Rin used in reference to her, and she blushed at that thought. That was great coming from her, but she'd prefer if she was called by her name. "Oh, and Rin-chan, please call me Kagome." she added with a smile.

Rin proceeded with her question, feeling slightly uncomfortable. Kagome, noticing the child's behavior, reassured her that it was alright and motioned for her to continue. Rin gathered all her courage up and asked her. "Why were you sad and crying over there, Kagome-chan?" Rin waved her hand toward the boulder she was once in. Kagome was slightly taken aback by this question, but decided to tell her, in simpler terms.

"Ano….Rin-chan. Well, you're right about me being sad, but that's normal. I was sad because.." pausing, Kagome thought of ways to put her situation in ways which Rin could understand. Sighing, she continued on. "I was sad because I'm just tired a lot and I have a lot of things to worry about" she explained to the little girl while stroking Rin's hair. 'I hope that answers her question' thought Kagome. She didn't want to make Rin worry, especially when it concerned Inuyasha.

"Oh, Rin understands." came a reply from Rin.

"You do?" asked Kagome surprisingly. 'How can she understand? She's just a little girl, and besides, I didn't tell her much' mused Kagome.

"Hai!" said Rin, smiling up at the older girl. "Kagome-chan is really tired because you walk around finding something and you have Lord Sesshoumaru's hanyou brother to deal with. Rin thinks he's mean sometimes." explained Rin, all emotions present in her voice.

Kagome, on the other hand, was stiff as a stick and was caught off guard about Rin's explanation. How had she known? This little girl was much wiser than she thought. Rin pretty much summed all of it up in terms of an eight-year old understanding and with much precision too. Kagome lost her composure for a moment and found that her vocal cords had gone stiff. She could not utter on word. Finally, after clearing her throat several times, she was finally able to get her act together and spoke. "Hai, Rin-chan. You got that right." Kagome admitted. This little girl was sure full of surprises.

Jaken was brought back to consciousness and noticed where he was at. He also noted that it was dark and if he didn't get himself back to camp, Lord Sesshoumaru would be furious with him. He was about to take his leave when he remembered what he came for in the first place. "Rin" he spoke with such annoyance. "We must get back to camp now." Having said that, he turned around and walked towards the edge of the forest, pretending to leave Rin when he would just wait for her to come.

Rin heard Jaken call out her name and stood up to stretch her body. She didn't want to leave Kagome-chan behind and she really enjoyed her company. After she asked her question, both girls continued on and chatted about the stars, the trees, and the flowers in the fields. Rin was ecstatic when it came to talking about flowers because she loved flowers herself. She also loves picking flowers for Sesshoumaru-sama. 'Kagome-chan and I should go flower picking one day' thought Rin. She wanted to spend more time with Kagome-chan.

Kagome felt Rin stand up and stretch her body. 'I guess it's time for her to go' noted Kagome mentally. She actually enjoyed herself in the little girl's presence and was surprised at how talkative Rin was, not that she complained or anything. They talked a bit more about flowers and whatnot that seem to interest Rin greatly. Oh how this little girl never ceases to surprise her was completely beyond her reasoning. She was going to miss Rin's presence, and hoped that they will see each other again. Rin gave her a big bear hug and thanked her for the time they spent together. Kagome returned her hug ten fold and told her to take care of herself. And with that, Rin left the clearing to follow after Jaken. Kagome sighed and looked up at the night sky. The sky was decorated with thousands, if not millions of stars that shone down like diamonds. The moon also stepped out of its hiding and dominated the skies with all of its glory, shining down upon Kagome's small figure, making her as stunning and appealing as ever.

"I wished I was that beautiful" Kagome said, followed by a sigh. She then walked out of the clearing to return to her friends as well. They were probably worried sick about her. 'At least someone else cares' mused Kagome.

'All except one…' this thought made Kagome sad, but she quickly pushed it to the back of her mind. She didn't need to attract more attention to herself by displaying such emotion.

Little did she know that a pair of golden eyes were watching her every move and heard everything that had transpired over the course of the late afternoon.

'Strange…' thought the owner of the golden orbs. 'I could've sworn I saw a blue light emitted somewhere.' Looking around, the owner saw no signs as to where the light would come from. 'Hm…could it be?' mused a confused youkai. 'No. It couldn't possibly be Inuyasha's wench. This Sesshoumaru must be delusional. It has been a long day.'

Quietly, Sesshoumaru stepped out into the clearing and sat where the girl was once positioned along with his little ward. 'They get along as if they have known each other their whole life. How could such familiarity exist between the two?' Sesshoumaru questioned himself mentally. He closed his eyes and massaged his throbbing temples, frustrated about the turn of events that day. He thought back on how his day went and from the looks of his expression, it didn't seem as if it went very well.

:Flashback:

_He went around from town to town in search of the ningen the goddess told him about, but to no avail. He found the talisman that was now given to him to be ineffective which caused the youkai lord to ponder at its said abilities. He was beginning to think that this whole procedure was just a waste of time therefore he decided to call it a day and went back to where his servant and his ward were currently situated._

_He was returning from surveying the land when he caught upon his ward's scent mingled with that of another. As he approached his destination, he found the girl that usually traveled with his bastard half-brother situated on a gargantuan boulder. He did not know why he was somewhat compelled to this woman, but whatever it was, he wasn't in favor of it. However, he did make a note to himself about how odd she looked with her preference of clothing and her scent was different from those of other human women. Her scent was that of jasmine with a tinge of midnight rain and smelled rather pleasantly in contrast to the scent the other ningens gave out, which was indeed rather offensive to his sensitive nose. He also noticed that this girl had azure eyes there were as blue as the ocean, yet at the moment her eyes were clouded with hints of sadness and something else—something that he couldn't quite put a finger to. He also smelled the scent of his ward and that's when he took notice of little Rin, being so close with the girl. He knew they were talking about something therefore he decided to tune in. _

"_Rin has a question for the pretty lady" he heard Rin ask. Why she was such an inquisitive little creature was unknown to him, yet he couldn't help but inwardly smile at her questioning self. _

'_This Sesshoumaru has definitely gone soft by being around my ward' thought Sesshoumaru. He had tried so many times to not let himself be affected by her warm demeanor, but found it to be quite impossible for her charm was like a contagious disease that spread rather quickly. In the end, he had to come to terms that this little girl, indeed, had brought some color into his life and he was quite…..amused by it. He just had to be careful about revealing this side of himself out in the open so that his enemies would not find out and use it against him. He could not let such a weakness be shown and bring about his downfall. He was sure of that. _

"_Yes Rin" replied the older girl. Sesshoumaru saw how her cheeks turned rosy at the use of the term 'pretty lady' in reference to her. He also heard her add "Oh and Rin-chan, please call me Kagome". _

'_Hmm…so this human girl has some modesty..Interesting.' Sesshoumaru deliberated. However, he mentally smacked himself for thinking of her as interesting._

'_She is anything **but** interesting.' He quickly retorted to his mental self. _

'_Yeah, yeah. Say as you please, but I know more' replied his conscience._

'_Oh, really? How's that possible?' came the spiteful remark from Sesshoumaru._

'_Simple. I am you and I know the things that you think subconsciously; things that you would normally deny' came the factual reply._

_Sesshoumaru inwardly sighed. He was definitely going insane if he was sitting here fighting with his own conscience._

'_Poor you, you must hate me for being part of you, ne?' said that annoying voice again._

'_You are lucky that you are part of me or else if you were living, I would have had your throat stripped into pieces by now' replied the irksome Sesshoumaru. He was clearly not in the mood._

'_Very well then, I shall count my blessings.'_

'_You are pathetic.'_

'_Thank you. So are you.'_

_Sesshoumaru was getting irritated. He did not like this conscience of his. Not one bit. Having heard enough from his 'other' self, he brought his thoughts back to the present. Was this part of his punishment as well?_

_He was brought back to reality when he heard the girl speak. _

"_Ano….Rin-chan. Well, you're right about me being sad, but that's normal. I was sad because…." the girl trailed off. Sesshoumaru waited for her to continue, knowing that she was not finished with her sentence. "I was sad because I'm just tired a lot and I have a lot of things to worry about" the human continued._

"_Oh, Rin understands." came a reply from Rin. _

"_You do?" asked the girl with interest._

"_Hai!" said Rin "Kagome-chan is really tired because you walk around finding something and you have Lord Sesshoumaru's hanyou brother to deal with. Rin thinks he's mean sometimes." _

_Sesshoumaru listened intently and was taken back by Rin's explanation. The little girl seemed to be observant and a bit knowledgeable for her age. 'She quickly catches on.' Sesshoumaru inwardly smiled at himself. He had taught his little ward rather well and she was, indeed, a fast learner._

"_Hai, Rin-chan. You got that right." admitted the girl. She seemed to be in shock as well._

'_So it seems that the human is having some issues with the bastard hanyou that's unfortunately related to me' thought Sesshoumaru. Not that he was interested in his half-brother's affairs with anyone, but somehow it has drawn something from within his memory that made him be more attentive. _

'_I'm telling you, it is **her**__that the goddess speaks of!' _

'_Ugh, what are you doing in my mind again? I thought I blocked you away?' Sesshoumaru inwardly growled._

'_You can keep me away, but you can't lock me out forever' said his conscience. _

'_I can see that.'_

'_Then why complain, oh great almighty lord?'_

'_Your stupidity is bothersome' replied Sesshoumaru broadly. _

'_I could care less.'_

'_Then you should.'_

'_What ever.'_

'_Fool.'_

_Sesshoumaru was getting a headache. This conscience of his was most certainly pulling at his strings and his patience is wearing thin. Maybe he could get someone to remove this nuisance off his mind once he returns to his castle. But for the meantime, he had to figure out if what his conscience said was indeed true. Was this the girl he's been looking for all these months? She couldn't be. She wouldn't be. He wouldn't allow it. _

_Unbeknownst to him, the talisman began to glow a light blue. It was barely noticeable, but it was there. If only the youkai lord was paying attention to the apparatus that snuggled within the inside of his haori instead of arguing with himself._

_He saw both ningens say their goodbyes and went their separate ways. However, instead of following afterhis ward, Sesshoumaru stayed behind and observed the young girl. He saw how she looked at the stars with those sapphire orbs of hers and made a mental note to find out why her eyes were usually distant, as if she was thinking of something….or someone._

"_I wished I was that beautiful" said the girl, followed by a deep sigh. She then left the clearing back to her camp. Sesshoumaru was lost at first, but figured out what she was referring to._

'_Oh, but she is **that** beautiful. Even more. Wouldn't you agree?'_

'_Not you again. And NO.' Sesshoumaru retorted hastily. This was the umpteenth time his stupid conscience had taken part of his brain._

'_What's the matter, Sesshou? Can't part from your beloved?'_

'_You are really testing my patience, aren't you?'_

'_Hm…maybe…maybe not. Who knows?'_

'_I shall ignore you once and for all.'_

'_Uh, I don't think so.'_

'_:silence:'_

'_Fine. I shall leave you be to ponder upon your thoughts, Sesshoumaru. But behold, I shall return' and with that, his conscience left him temporarily. _

'_Oh thank heavens.' Sesshoumaru breathed in relief. _

_He was brought back to his surroundings when he saw something blue quickly flash by._

_:End Flashback:_

Sesshoumaru thought about how things were coming about at the moment. If what his conscience said was true, then he shall observe this wench attentively as well as the talisman to see if what he perceived earlier was true. He silently cursed that goddess for bestowing such a task for him. He had no choice but to comply to her wishes or else his fate and the fate of his kingdom was bound for a calamity. He was unsure of what's going to happen, but he has a dreadful feeling within his gut. Whatever it was, he would come face to face with it and settle it once and for all.

"I shall be seeing you again, human girl" Sesshoumaru said to no one in particular. With that said, he left the clearing to return to his ward and his servant. He had to sort of many things before he comes to conclusions.

'We shall see if you are, indeed, the "chosen one.'' '

* * *

Oh thank goodness! I got that done! Ugh..I'm not even supposed to be writing now, but rather, be doing the rest of my AP US History homework! Ahh! Crap. Please r&r! I'd like to get more feedbacks about what I can do with this. Either save it or leave it—in other words, not continue it. Well, sayonara! 


	4. Chapter 4

Title: The Jigsaw Puzzle

A/N: I finished on homework early so I decided to write another chapter. I am a little tired, but I'll try and not let that stop me from writing! This whole writing fics thing is kind of addicting. Damn, I wasn't able to pay attention in Physics 'coz I was too engulfed in planning out the events that are to take place (no, I'm not a psycho freak that constantly thinks about this stuff 24/7. I have a life too, you know. Hehe) But anyway, I'd like to thank those who left reviews. I love you all! (Honorable mentions will be later.) Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha and the characters associated with the Anime. However, that wouldn't sound too bad for a Christmas present, eh:winks: I only own the plot!

* * *

**

Chapter 4

It was mid-morning. The sun was high up in the sky, claiming its rightful position while bringing light and warmth to the sweet earth below. The clouds traveled at a uniformed pace, shifting its form every now and then. The cool wind also blew her way through the trail in which a group of travelers were following some kind of path.

The group consisted of six members: A white-haired hanyou wearing a red haori and hakama, an oddly-dressed young woman carrying a yellow oversized bag filled with necessities needed for their constant travels, a red-haired fox kitsune who was in a peaceful slumber on the woman's arms, another woman slightly older than the other female, dressed as a demon slayer of some sort while a huge boomerang was secured behind her back, a neko youkai who was also resting at the demon slayer's arms, and another man in traditional monk robe who carried a golden staff with him. They went about their way in a line-formation. The white-haired hanyou was leading the group with his arms crossed over his chest, hands hidden beneath the oversized red haori. The man's dog-like ears twitched every so often, picking up noises that were within the premises as the group traveled. The white-haired man would sometimes stop in his tracks, stick his nose up in the air and sniffed, hoping to catch a scent of something. If nothing was out of the contrary, he would go along his way.

Right behind the white-haired man were the taijiya and the monk, chatting their way as they traveled. It was evident that there was some type of mutual relationship present between the two due to the blush that would appear at the taijiya's cheeks whenever the monk made some remark and vice versa. Everything seems to be at peace with the two when all of a sudden….

**:smack:**

"When do you ever keep your hands to yourself, Miroku?" alleged a rather enraged taijiya at the man who was once beside her. The man known as Miroku had a reddening hand imprinted on his face given to him by the woman that stood tall in front of him. He fixed his composure and dusted some imaginary dust off his robes whilst giving the once fuming taijiya a sly smile.

"I was only looking after your own well-being, my dear Sango." Miroku pleaded with the youkai exterminator, grabbing her balled up fists into his hands. "A cruel bug was about to make it to you and I just prevented from such a creature to rest upon you, saving you from such fears" he continued on in hopes of soothing the exasperated taijiya.

"Hmph. As if." Sango, the taijiya, responded dryly. She knew of his intentions of having his lecherous hand travel to parts where they shouldn't be, which would mean her rear end, or the rear ends of other victimized ladies. It was a mystery as to why a lecher such as he was even considered a monk.

"Your words hurt me so, my lady" Miroku clutches his chest to add more dynamism to the overly dramatic enunciation. "Please, show this monk some clemency for offending such a beautiful lady as you." He expressed in much…convincing tones.

"Alright, you furtive monk. I'll let it go this time, but on one condition. You lay those filthy hands of yours in place where they shouldn't be and don't be surprised to see them cut off." warned the wary taijiya. Sango knew that she was a sucker to his verbose way of talking, but she couldn't help it. Somehow this lecherous monk had leaked his way to her heart. However, she wasn't going to let him get off that easily just because she felt something for the monk.

"I thank you for your show of amnesty, my fair lady." Miroku sighed whilst taking her hand in his, placed it near his sweet lips and kissed them lightly. Sango turned a shade of tomato red at this gesture. Miroku, on the other hand, inwardly grinned. He loved getting reactions like these from her. It just brightens up his mood.

...--Ooo&ooO--...

It had been days since Kagome's encounter with Rin. Needless to say, she misses the little kid and her constant talks. She reminisced on the events from that day and silently chuckled at the way Rin would state her questions. She also found the little kid to be so full of energy especially when they talked about flowers. Kagome shared something in common with the little girl; they were both astounded by nature's beauty and felt at ease especially around a field of flowers. However, she had that feeling of guilt gnawing at her conscience because she forgot to thank Rin for her company. Believe it or not, Rin had somehow taken her sorrow away and let her enjoy the rest of that afternoon.

'I forgot to thank Rin for keeping me company that day. It really brought me out of my depressive mood.' Kagome reflected. 'I wonder when I'll see her again. I want to give her something in return.' Kagome then took out something out of the pocket of her oversized yellow bag. It was something small, yet it gave out a slight luster when Kagome brought it out in daylight. It was a bracelet made of shiny beads and such. The bracelet was emulated with pastel-colored beads as well as some crystals that reflected the monochromatic rays of the sun. Little stars slightly dangled all around the bracelet and a silver crescent moon, much larger than the stars themselves, hung nearby the clasp that held the bracelet intact. This bracelet may seem to be just like any ordinary bracelet to some, but to Kagome, the fashion accessory had a sentimental value. An old friend of hers gave it to her as a thank you present for helping her find a missing cat. Her friend told her that if Kagome ever had someone to thank, then she shouldn't hesitate to give this bracelet to whoever she was grateful to. It was said that the bracelet had unanimous powers that kept the holder safe from harm and that it was meant to be passed on to others. Kagome thought this myth behind the bracelet was simply ludicrous and made no sense whatsoever.

'Why would a bracelet possess such powers?' Kagome asked herself mentally. 'If that's the case, then whoever made this must've put a spell on it that protected the bearer.' she concluded shortly after.

"If what was said about this thing is true, then Rin would be safe from harm, right?" Kagome quietly asked no one in particular. Little did she know that golden orbs were watching her form and a pair of dog-like ears twitched at the sound of her voice.

"Oi, who are you talking to?" Inuyasha asked out of nowhere. He saw Kagome flinch the second he said something as if she's been frightened. He raised a brow at her. Kagome had been acting strange lately. She's been out of her mind and always seemed so distant. Sometimes he would catch her staring at something for a long period of time without blinking. Often times, Inuyasha assumed that Kagome was sleeping with her eyes open. That was something truly out of the ordinary.

However, he also thought about her behavior and wondered if it was connected to that time when he harangued her that day. Not only that, but he, once again, compared her to Kikyo. He did not know what compelled him to do so, but it had come out of his mouth before he even had time to consider what he said. He felt a tiny pang at his conscience for saying those words, but there was nothing that he could do to rewind time. All he could do now was to ponder on his actions and make sure to think it out before he acts. He really did not intend to hurt Kagome that day. He only wanted her to stop musing around and get moving again. After all, they still had many shards to collect before Naraku had his hands on them. They were racing against two factors; their fiend and time.

Kagome heard Inuyasha question her about what she said. Had she really said that out loud? It wasn't intended to be said aloud, but somehow it had escaped her train of thought and found its way out of her mouth.

'How embarrassing. He probably thinks I'm a moron now. Greeeeat.' Kagome scolded herself mentally. It was unknown to her that as she was contemplating, Inuyasha was giving her the 'strange' eye and studying her figure. He also noticed that her cheeks had taken in a slight rosy color. This put Inuyasha into more confusion. What was going on with her?

"Kagome, are you alright?" Inuyasha asked with great concern. He really was getting worried about her.

Kagome, on the other hand, was taken back by the level of emotion emphasized in that one question. She wasn't expecting that to come out of Inuyasha's lips. He had also called her by her name! It wasn't the usual 'wench' or 'girl' or 'bitch'. Bizarre? Very.

'Okay, I'm hearing things' Kagome assured herself mentally. 'First, he's really concerned about how I am. Second, he called me by my name!'

Inuyasha was getting impatient. Kagome hasn't said a word for approximately 10 minutes now. He crosses his arms across his chest and taps his foot impatiently. "Well? Are you gonna answer me or pretend that I haven't said anything?" He asked with such edginess.

'Well, there's goes Mr. Nice Guy.' Kagome sighed. 'I knew I was dreaming!' she told herself inwardly.

"Sorry. Oh, and yes, I'm fine." Kagome finally responded.

Inuyasha sighed in relief. "Oh good. I thought you died upright with your eyes open."

"What the hell?" Kagome began. "Oh wow. I guess you're still the same, Inuyasha," Kagome teased. It was kind of an insult, but she couldn't help but laugh at it for some weird reason. It was too funny to turn that statement into the subject of another argument. Besides, she didn't need another one starting after the last fight they had. She decided to drop the subject.

"So, In—" Kagome was cut off short when she was pulled into a very warm, cuddly hug. Shock was etched all over her features. Her body went rigid for a few seconds in response to that shock. This was completely unexpected. What was he doing?

Inuyasha, sensing her distress, hugged her tighter and buried his nose into her hair. He inhaled the scent of jasmine and let her scent engulf him, sending his senses wild. He always loved how she smelled. It calmed him down and put him at ease. However, this caused more tension between them and he decided to finally break the completely unnerving silence that hung.

"I was really worried about you, Kagome. After what happened in the woods on your return, I felt guilty for yelling at you like that. I never really meant to hurt you in any way and I was just being the jerk that I always am." Inuyasha paused for a moment. He had to take a breather. Here he was spilling his guts out to the girl he had hurt and he's actually apologizing for his actions. That was something he was not accustomed to due to his egotistical self. He just hoped that she will forgive him, and then everything would be back to normal again. It made him feel uncomfortable whenever he and Kagome quarreled and still hadn't made up after days had passed by. He wanted to be on her good, loving, and caring side. He hated making her aggravated and hurt. He swore to protect her and he's still going to live up to that promise. After all, he felt it was his obligation to take care of her since she was under his protection. He knew Kagome was strong, but there was something within him that won't let her go alone. He was, in all truth and honesty, afraid to let her go, not just away from his sight, but from his embrace for eternity. He knew that he was the cause of her pain and sorrow and he hated himself for that. However, he wanted to change that about him and instead bring her happiness and joy for a change. He wanted to see her ocean blue eyes sparkle with life and see her loving smile. He didn't want to admit to himself that he was _falling _for this girl from the future for fear of rejection. He doesn't know how she felt towards him which explains why he always has that mean, uncaring façade around her. He was afraid of putting his emotions out there and wind up getting hurt. Insecurity was really a powerful feeling and is almost impossible to destroy when it was combined with high pride. So far, the only person who was able to crumble that strong wall was Kikyo, and now, Kagome seems to be succeeding in bringing that wall down once again. He felt it was too risky to open up to her and spill out his emotions in fear of jeopardizing what they had. He knew he had to do it eventually, but he was unsure **_when _**exactly.

'Maybe when it's too late.' Inuyasha thought. 'Maybe when she's found someone else who wouldn't treat her as I do now.' He let out a frustrated sigh. He was frustrated at himself for being able to face massive amounts of demons with such diligence, but was a coward when it came to confronting feelings. He was frustrated for being such a wimpy chicken when it comes to these things.

After inhaling her scent again, Inuyasha didn't want to leave her hanging thus he continued. "I care for you, Kagome. It's up to you to believe it or not. I regret the times that I've let you down or have brought pain upon you. I swore to protect you and I'm willing to do so even if it costs me my own life. I just want to get things done so that this whole issue with Naraku and the shards would be resolved."

Inuyasha pulled away and placed his clawed hands on her shoulder gently. He saw her trying to hold back the tears that were dying to be freed from her eyes. As much as she tried, a tear managed to escape from her eyes and rolled down the side of her nicely shaped nose. Inuyasha sighed inwardly. He had put her in this state once again. When was he ever going to get things right? He brushed the lone tear away with gentleness, making sure that his claw doesn't scratch her pristine ivory skin. However, another cascaded down from the corners of her eyes followed by another. Soon, her tears were falling like waterfalls down her face.

"I'm sorry if I made you cry, Kagome." Inuyasha pulled her into a comforting hug once more. "It hurts me when I'm the cause of your sadness. I wish there was something I could do to take it all away". He sat down on a nearby root and cradled Kagome to his chest as he rocked her back and forth, still snuggling her up to his bosom. He pulled away once more and kissed each eyelid while brushed the rest of her tears away. "I just want you to know that it would kill me if something happened to you and I wasn't able to do anything about it."

Kagome finally found her voice and spoke. "Why? I'm just your shard detector anyway. Why swear your whole life protecting someone who's of no importance?" Kagome managed to choke out despite the fact that it was hard to talk, considering the amount of hiccups that stopped her every so often during her statement. She felt so weak and so immobile at the moment. He had managed to trigger the right spot: Her vulnerability. She hated looking weak and emotionally strained in front of him. It just made her feel like worthless shit that can't get her act together.

"No, Kagome. You are important. You're more important to me than you think you are. You're not just a shard detector." Inuyasha took his hand and held her chin, raising it up to meet his golden gaze. He was lost at her swirling azure eyes that showed all emotion. She was like a lost child in a world of chaos and despair. He felt a pang in his heart at the sight of her. She was a wreck. Had he really done this much damage to her?

Inuyasha stared at her not with a feisty, aggravated gaze, but with sincerity and compassion. His golden orbs were bearing down upon her sapphire blue ones with such intense gentleness that Kagome felt time had stopped and nothing else existed but just him and her. She felt trapped within his gaze and her breath hitched in her throat as he spoke. "You're Kagome. You're so full of life, full of hope, full of love, and full of compassion. I've never met someone who had the same fiery spirit as you possess and I feel truly blessed for knowing someone like you. Sure, we sometimes don't get along and you never give up without a good fight, but that's what I like about you. You don't let yourself be tossed aside without being heard and you put a pretty damn brawl to let others know what you think. Somehow you've sneaked your way into my heart and that's why I lo—" His phrase was left unfinished as his eyes took a darker shade of gold and quickly turned his head to the side, as if he was observing something. Kagome felt him tense up. She was confused. Here he was enunciating such affectionate words then seconds later he stops and turns his head as if someone called his attention. 'What was going on?'

Inuyasha cut himself short. He had almost said it. He had almost confessed that he loved her.

'Stupid, stupid, stupid! You almost blew it, Inuyasha! Don't get carried away!' Inuyasha yelled at himself mentally. He turned his head to the side quickly so that she won't notice the blush that crept up his cheeks. As he did so, he noticed another demon presence close by, which made him tense up. How long had they been here and why didn't he notice before? It might have been watching for a while now. 'Ugh, you idiot! You see? You're a fucking moron!' Inuyasha continued to cuss himself. 'Who knows what grave danger you might be in.'

"Demon….." Inuyasha whispered threateningly. "Kagome, stay back. Go get the others." Inuyasha notified Kagome. He had to get her far away from here before he checked it out. He didn't want her to get hurt or be kidnapped in case it was Naraku or any demon demanding the Shikon shards. Her safety was prioritized above all things.

Kagome now understood. It subdued her anger and hurt. He sensed a demon nearby which is why he didn't get to finish. And here she was thinking he'd sensed Kikyo or something. She could've sworn he was about to profess his love to her, which made her really nervous and queasy. She felt him place her down from his lap and heard him tell her what to do. It took her a few seconds to comprehend what was going on, but understood what he wanted when he took Tetsusaiga out, transforming in its true form. She knew there was danger.

However, as soon as Kagome left the clearing, so did the youkai presence. Inuyasha was confused. Was the demon following Kagome? His suspicions soon rose to new limits when she heard her scream moments later. 'Oh no!' thought Inuyasha. He quickly rushed to her side. He saw Kagome sprawled on the forest floor, holding her ankle.

"What happened?" asked an alarmed Inuyasha.

"I fell." Kagome replied. She was running as fast as her human legs could carry her. She became so engulfed in finding the others and whether Inuyasha would be alright that she failed to notice a protruding tree root ahead. She continued running until she was stopped dead in her tracks and was soon overwhelmed with pain shooting up from her ankle.

"You're so clumsy. Watch where you're going next time!" Inuyasha advised Kagome. He then squatted in front of her, motioning for her to get on his back. Kagome did as she was told and soon rested her head on his shoulder.

"Thanks, Inuyasha" Kagome muttered before sleep overcame her.

Inuyasha heard her thank him and soon felt her rhythmic breathing and steady heartbeat on his neck and back. He knew she was fast asleep.

"You're welcome, **_my_** Kagome. Sleep well."

…--0oo&oo0--…

Sesshoumaru had been following suit for a few days now. He stuck to his word when he said that he would be observing the woman attentively now. He had been following his hanyou half-brother's band while masking his scent and aura in the process. He did not want to be detected by that idiot's keen senses. 'Not bad for a hanyou like him.' He thought. At least he still had some inuyoukai qualities that he must've acquired from his deceased father. But still, his worthless half-brother disgraced his family's name by simply being a hanyou; a half-breed tainted with human blood. Sesshoumaru, as much as he despised it, had to live with the fact that his family line would not have full-blooded youkais now because of the idiotic hanyou. It was up to Sesshoumaru to produce a full-blooded pup that would one day take over his kingdom once he moves on from this life. This thought, however, placed a grimacing thought in his mind, as the events of that fateful night came back to him.

"Curse that damn goddess. She will pay for this punishment of hers dearly." Sesshoumaru growled lowly. He was still furious at the turn of events, but this aggravation did not go noticed on his cool, stoic, handsome face. He dared not show emotion that much, and if he did, it was usually repugnance or malevolence. He only let his façade drop when he is within his castle grounds or when he is around Rin. Speaking of Rin, he couldn't help remember how she looked when he came back from the clearing. Little Rin was highly enthusiastic and had a huge smile upon her face as she hugged his leg. Sesshoumaru would simply pat the girl's head and she would react with such happiness. This behavior was usual, but what was unusual about her was the way she moved about the camp and how she wouldn't stop talking about the woman she met that day. She referred to her as 'the pretty lady', having forgotten the woman's name for a few seconds. It was moments later when she remembered her name and Rin went on the explanation about their chat and how she had a good time. Of course, Sesshoumaru already knew what she was talking about since he was present at the time as well. He did not feel the need to tell her that since it did not concern her. Besides, he knew that she would question him as to why he did not join them. Sesshoumaru knew better therefore he let the child speak ardently as he continued to listen. This process wasn't completely a waste of breath on her part nor is it a waste of time on his part for he learned some things about the girl known as Kagome. Kagome, like his ward, enjoyed the sight of flowers and loved to be around them. She also maintained personal hygiene with items such as a 'shampoo', 'bath scrub', 'moisturizing soap' and so on. The mention of these objects sparked Sesshoumaru's interest since he's never heard of such things before. Maybe it's some type of apparatus used for witchery? It could also be names of spells that concerns with hygiene—that is—if she was a sorceress. Sesshoumaru did not know what she was and where she came from, but whatever it was, it was clear that she did not belong in this era. Maybe she came from a distant land across that vast body of water or if she was summoned from the underworld. That was one thing he had to find out when he followed them. Sesshoumaru also noticed Rin sucking on something and he was rather suspicious. He questioned her about the stick that protruded from her mouth. Rin happily explained that 'Kagome-chan' had given her candy, which was some type of sweets. He was wary of the 'lollipop' for several reasons. First off, it had an atypical name for something sweet. Second, he's never heard of a 'lollipop' before (once again). Third, what if there was some type of spell administered into this 'lollipop' that was intended to control Rin in order to strike at Sesshoumaru? Many questions came up in his mind as he pondered upon these thoughts and resolved this issue by simply finding answers from this strange girl. His mind was set. He would follow this girl and learn more about her before he made any move. This way, he would acquire information he needed to confirm his suspicions and to find out whether she really was the girl the fanatical goddess chose to help him out. Once again, the thought of the goddess and the curse she bestowed upon him angered him to no end.

"I don't need the help of another, much less a human girl. This Sesshoumaru will make sure of that." Sesshoumaru vowed. He will show that no-good goddess. He tried to get in his mind that this was simply a challenge—a challenge that he could overcome without the aid of any other.

Days passed by as Sesshoumaru continued to hide behind the shadows of the trees as he continued to tag along the group. Sesshoumaru hated this; he felt like an undignified stalker. He was stalking a human for crying out loud! This was not something Sesshoumaru was pleased with and it made him feel less noble. Stalking was clearly not considered to be a feature of nobility and Sesshoumaru knew this for a fact. He tried to get closer to the girl with the talisman in hand, but could never find the opportunity to get close enough due to the fact that her other female companion was by her. The talisman would not emit any light whenever the other girl was around and this did not go very well for the impassive youkai lord. Gods! Those two seemed to be inseperable. They constantly talked about useless nonsense that seemed to amuse them.

'Simple-minded humans. They are clearly fools who can't use their heads for something more productive.' Sesshoumaru alleged. He did not understand why the talk of hot spring baths brought such zeal amongst the two females.

'Hmm, so the human girl likes being clean. Interesting. She is unlike other humans who have foul stench due to the lack of hygiene. Disgusting.' Sesshoumaru grimaced at the thought of humans, which added to the many reasons why he despises them.

'_Exactly. Which is another reason why you like the girl' _said a voice inside his head.

Sesshoumaru nearly fell off his post high above a tree branch. His nightmare, known as his 'conscience' came back to taunt him. He didn't need this distraction now.

'What do you want now?'

'_Oh nothing. I became lonely after you locked me out for a while.'_

'I intended to keep you locked away forever. Now leave.'

'_I don't think so, Sesshy. What you did was uncalled for. You just have to accept the fact that I'm part of you.'_

Sesshoumaru suppressed a deadly growl that threatened to bellow out. 'I am aware of that. I have no choice but to have you sticking up my ass.'

'_Ouch. How nice. I shall ignore that remark from you for the moment.'_

'I'd like to see you try.'

'_Yeah. What ever. Anyway…I am here to remind you of your task'_

'No need. I never asked you to.'

'_Time is running out, Sesshoumaru. Either you get your act together or suffer. That goddess was not jesting. She is a powerful goddess indeed. I know this for a fact.'_

'Oh really? And how do you know this, dear conscience of mine?' Sesshoumaru was anything but amused.

His "conscience" sighed, and then continued. _'I have a confession to make. I am not your conscience. My name is Hiroshi and I was placed here by Naomi-sama.'_

'Naomi-sama?' Sesshoumaru inquired, followed by his eyes widening a fraction of a millimeter. 'You mean to tell me that wretched goddess wench put you in my mind as well?' he asked with a slight abhorrence present in his tone, clearly not pleased with the information he's been given.

'_Unfortunately, yes.' _Hiroshi replied.

'That little piece of w—'

'_I would hold you tongue if I were you, Sesshoumaru. You wouldn't want to put yourself in a far worse situation than you already are in' Hiroshi warned. 'Naomi-sama was right. You **DO **need someone like me.' _Hiroshi stated threateningly.

'I do not need anyone. Get out of my mind. **Now.**'

'_I'm afraid not, Sesshoumaru. It's not as simple as it seems. I am stuck here until you have learned your lesson and the curse is lifted. If not, then I am still stuck here to make your life a living hell. I can assure you that I will do so.'_

For the first time in his entire existence, Sesshoumaru was dumbstruck. He was at loss for words. This goddess was more of a pain than he already thought she was.

'_Well?' _Hiroshi asked. _'At loss for words, eh?'_

'Be quiet.'

'_Jeez. Okay. I shall leave you to ponder upon my words. I shall be back later.' _

'Good. Don't come back.'

'_Touchy, Sesshoumaru. Just touchy.'_

'**Leave.**' Sesshoumaru threatened menacingly.

'_Alright, Alright! I'm out!' _Hiroshi stated, before he left.

'What has this Sesshoumaru gotten himself into?'

…--0oo&oo0--…

Naomi had been observing everything that has happened so far. She was still frustrated at Sesshoumaru's lack of cooperation. This was proving to be harder than she thought.

"Move over, Omi! I can't see!" Maira demanded. He's been trying to perceive what was going on with Sesshoumaru through a mirror-like object that Naomi held in her hand. This object was indeed a magical mirror that was about the size of a large frying pan. In it, Sesshoumaru could be seen standing a few distances away from the girl watching them intently.

After pleading for a while and moving his way through, Maira finally got a glimpse of what was going on. It seems as if Sesshoumaru had figured out who Naomi had chosen to be his companion in the travels ahead.

"Ah, so it seems that Sesshoumaru's not as stupid as I thought" Maira stated.

"Yes, I know. However, he's not entirely sure whether it is her or not. The talisman would not emit anything if she is with another, which has been the case for the past few days now." Naomi implied factually.

"I see. By the way, how's Hiroshi faring?" Maira inquired.

"He's…..hanging in there. He says Sesshoumaru's fun to annoy." Naomi sighed at this. "I guess he's having fun with the demon lord."

Maira laughed at the thought of the taiyoukai having mental battles with Hiroshi. He knew Hiroshi would always come out victorious when it comes to aggravating others. He's heard many things about Lord Sesshoumaru's patience and having Hiroshi to bother him constantly would be sheer hell for the noble lord.

Naomi looked at Maira as if he had just grown another head. What was so funny?

"What are you laughing about?" Naomi asked.

"Oh, nothing serious. It's just the thought of the inuyoukai with Hiroshi. It would be a miracle if he doesn't lose his mind." Maira stated, holding his laughter.

Naomi simply rolled her eyes at him. Maira was a piece of work himself.

"Whatever."

"Naomi, this whole thing is taking too long! I'm dying of anticipation in here!"

"Patience, Maira, Patience. Besides, you can't 'die', you moron. You're a god!" Naomi retorted.

"Oh, right." Maira whispered.

Naomi rolled her greenish golden eyes at him once more and continued to watch what was going on in the mirror.

…--0oo&oo0--…

Sesshoumaru was getting tired of waiting. Not only was he annoyed at the fact that he can't figure out whether Kagome was the right one or not, but this Hiroshi figure was also irking him to no end. It seems as if the goddess' curse is starting to take effect. Right now, he feels as if he is inching towards bad luck and constant aggravation—something he is not accustomed to. On top of that, his hanyou brother was becoming more aware of his surroundings and was constantly sniffing the area. He must've sniffed his scent somewhere. Sesshoumaru had to be more careful. After all, it's not that easy to constantly mask one's aura and scent for a long period of time. He hasn't completely mastered that level of slyness, which adds to the many reasons why he thinks he's had a taste of hell.

However, he did get to know more about this girl known as Kagome. His suspicions were right. She is not from this place. She kept talking about other gadgets that were so alien to him and she also possessed books that were of some sort. In fact, he held one in his hand, a book that had the words 'Mathematics B/An Introduction to Pre-Calculus and Calculus: Second Edition' engraved in them. The book itself felt foreign to the touch, and its contents were simply mind-boggling. This book was clearly a book of spells and such. It had a wide variety of signs, lines, circles, curves, dotted lines, triangles, and many symbols that had both curved and straight lines in them. _(A/N: also known as Hindu-Arabic numbers..you know…123456789..yeah, that. It was the Muslim scholars who came up with that, the decimal place, and the concept of '0'. I guess Global Studies crap comes in handy every once in a while :)) _Most, if not, all of these texts were written in a different calligraphic form, possibly more incantations or cryptogram, but whatever it was, it's something he could not understand. (_A/N: The English Language)_

He also found the girl cry out in frustration when she seemed to be troubled by something she was doing. She had a black rectangular-shaped box that had various buttons with the same symbols that were on the book. _(A/N: a.k.a. a calculator) _Sesshoumaru observed closely as she pushed a few buttons here and there and the screen-like device displayed the symbols that she pressed not too long ago. She was also scribbling something on paper with a spiral-like metal attached on one side like a book. Even her writing implement was odd. It was a stick-like apparatus which held the ink in a tube-like contraption. It was quite ingenious and rather convenient. There would be no use for an ink bottle if the ink was held by something. Although her thingamajigs were quite fascinating and eye-catching, her complaints were rather annoying. Sesshoumaru winced everytime she would shriek out something like "I calculated the gravitational force and the initial velocity of this damn projectile, why can't I get the maximum height? UGH! I hate Physics." This 'Physics' thing was surely causing the girl aggravation, and him a headache.

Another thing he noted was how much she moved every now and then. She would also hustle and bustle in the mornings and throughout the course of the day to provide for her friends and herself. It was as if she was always on the run or she was being timed for her life depended on it. She would prepare the meals, serve them, and clean her companion's mess up after they have finished their meals. During battle, Kagome would stay aside and shoot arrows here and there while the others fought viciously. She seemed to be overprotective of the fox kit and treated him as her own pup. This was something new to Sesshoumaru for he always thought that all humans would rather take their own life than to take care of a youkai pup. She had proved his previous theories wrong. Maybe not all humans were the same. In fact, her female associate also had a neko youkai under her care as well. This put Sesshoumaru under more confusion.

However, aside from all his observations on the girl, there was still one thing that left him quite surprised. The girl could purify Shikon shards with one touch. He's witnessed a few occasions when she would take the tainted shards and watch the black aura disappear replaced by a light pink aura instead, signifying that the shards have been purified.

'If my suspicions are true and she can purify shards, then she must be…….'

'_A miko?'_

'Gah! For goodness sakes, why do you intrude when you are not needed?'

'_I was merely helping you out.'_

'I did not ask for your assistance.'

'_Indeed, however, you seemed rather perplexed therefore I thought you might want a second opinion'_

'This Sesshoumaru would've figured it out by himself.'

'_True, but it would've taken you forever'_

'Be quiet.'

'_So, what do you think of her? Isn't she a catch?'_

'No.'

'_Pfft.Yeah right. Stop lying to yourself.'_

'This Sesshoumaru does not lie, idiot. It is a disgrace to my title and my honor as a lord.'

'_Hmm…so you're not as dumb as I thought'_

'Watch your words if you value your life.'

'_Ooooooh, Sesshoumaru's going to try and kill me. I'm scared.' _Hiroshi said mockingly.

'And I shall.'

'_Come and get me, Fluffy.'_

Sesshoumaru flexed his claws. He was about to strike when he remembered that he had no target in sight. Hiroshi was inside his mind.

Hiroshi laughed hysterically. '_Thought so. Haha!'_

Sesshoumaru sighed. 'You really are lucky, you bastard.'

'_Yes, I know. And I love it.'_

'Fool.'

'_Thanks. I appreciate it.' _Hiroshi replied with humor.

Sesshoumaru rubbed his temples vigorously. This Hiroshi creature was completely preposterous and it was giving Sesshoumaru a huge headache. If only he could get rid of this nuisance, then he would've done so a long time ago. He attempted by trying to get someone to rid of this presence in his mind, but to no avail. The sorcerer said that the powers within are too strong and Sesshoumaru had no choice but to break whatever chain there was that attached him to this presence in order for him to go away. Sesshoumaru did not spare the sorcerer's life for he did not get the satisfaction he needed.

'This Sesshoumaru does not need to concern others. I am, indeed, shifting out of task.'

'_Yes, that's why I'm here.'_

'Would you please just go away and leave this Sesshoumaru at peace?'

'_Nope. Tough luck for you.'_

'I do not wish for your company. **Leave**'

'_I will once you answer why you've been observing the girl intently'_

'I only wish to know how she is and to make sure if she is the right one. Now I have answered your question so leave.'

'_Okay. Fine. Fluffy.' _

Sesshoumaru once again continued his observations. He also noted how the girl behaved around others. She was kindhearted, compassionate, and was full of life. She would always try to brighten everyone's day by saying a few nothings and giving them her award-winning smile.

Her smile.

Sesshoumaru secretly had to admit to himself that Kagome has had one of the best, warm-hearted smiles that he has ever seen. In fact, it rivals with those of beautiful youkais that had come his way to mate with him. She also possessed azure eyes that could drown you once you get caught in them. Although her face showed happiness and joy, he could tell that her actions were unreal; her smiles were forced smiles and her eyes told him everything. She was hurting. She was unhappy. There was something that prevented her from attaining complete joy and happiness. He has even encountered times when she would look up at the stars with the moon shining down upon her making her look dazzling, but he noticed a tear surge down her cheek. Her expression would that be of longing, sadness, despair, and loneliness. Kagome was beautiful and seeing her in a somber state made her look fragile. It stirred something within him that he could not quite understand. It was as if something was drawing him to her. It was that same exact feeling when he saw Kagome and his hanyou half-brother one time.

:Flashback:

_Sesshoumaru watched intently as the hanyou who was sadly related to him was holding Kagome in an affectionate way. He felt drawn to her even more, but there was something else. For some reason he began to growl forebodingly at the close range the two were at. He quickly suppressed his growl after realizing what he had just done. What was wrong with him? Why does he have more hatred towards the hanyou just by touching her like that? _

'_Oooh, I think someone's jealous, someone's jealous!' Hiroshi commented._

'_What nonsense do you enunciate now?' Sesshoumaru retorted._

'_It's called emotion, Sesshoumaru. In other words, it is also known as feelings.' Hiroshi explained. _

'_I, Sesshoumaru, do not possess such emotions.'_

'_That's bullshit, Sesshoumaru. Everybody has them.'_

'_This Sesshoumaru had eliminated such emotions long ago. It is only but a nuisance; a distraction. It interferes with the task at hand and it can be a destructing force if such things are left unattended.' Sesshoumaru stated factually._

'_Then you underestimate the whole meaning of it.' Hiroshi replied. _

'_Care to explain? Your words have such ambiguity.' Sesshoumaru mentally raised an eyebrow at him. _

'_You talk of emotions as a destructive thing, yet I am not going to fully contradict you on that. You are correct at some extent. The emotions you talk about are of hate, lust, jealousy, and revenge. These emotions do not bring forth light and only causes chaos and destruction. However, emotions such as love and happiness can bring out the best in a person, regardless of who they are.' Hiroshi explained in much deeper detail._

'_You are wrong. This emotion, love, is destructing. It is the reason why many youkai have ceased to exist.' Sesshoumaru contradicted._

'_In which case, you are referring to the great InuTaisho, your father, do I presume correctly?'_

_Sesshoumaru was astonished. How had he known? 'Yes.'_

'_Your father, InuTaisho, was a brave youkai. He died not because of his emotions making him weak, but because he chose to. He knew his time was drawing near and he accepted the fact that fate had plans for him. He knew he could not walk this earth forever and that one day a stronger youkai would take his life, in which case would be Ryuukotsei. It is because of love that he had managed to survive longer. His love for you, Inuyasha, and Izayoi was far too great to let anything stop his way. He wanted to live for as long as he can until the gods had decided he has done enough. So you see, it was love that strengthened him in the end, and it was his destiny to perish as well.' Hiroshi broke it down for Sesshoumaru to comprehend what he was saying. _

'_You do have a point, Hiroshi, however that does not change anything. My father died and I saw it with my very eyes.' Sesshoumaru contradicted once more. He refused to believe what Hiroshi was saying and he had no evidence to support his theory. _

'_I see. It is not my duty to teach you what love is, Sesshoumaru. For one, I don't know how to teach it, but I know the concepts of it. Love itself is a subject that can't be explained by mere words. Perharps you have to feel it in order for you to understand it since love has no one meaning.' Hiroshi said in return._

'_Perhaps.'_

'_Say, maybe that girl you're looking for might be able to help you.'_

'_I do not need anyone's help understanding this whole "love" issue nor do I intend on understanding it. This Sesshoumaru knows for a fact that love is void therefore I cannot feel it.' Sesshoumaru stated flat out. Regardless of what Hiroshi says, he would still not succumb to this emotion. He has vowed long ago that he would not fall under its trap._

'_Alright, then. Do as you please, but I warn you, Sesshoumaru. You can't plan out what's already been done' and with that, Hiroshi left Sesshoumaru's conscious mind so that the inuyoukai could absorb everything in._

'_Now what in heaven's name is that supposed to mean?'_

:End Flashback:

"You can't plan out what's already been done" Sesshoumaru repeated Hiroshi's words. He did not understand what that phrase meant. It was baffling for one, and two, how does that apply to him? Was he trying to say that he knows what's going to happen in the future? Hm...he must question him whenever Hiroshi decides to 'visit' him again.

Despite that discussion, he still did not understand why he was feeling that way, and it was irking him to no end. However, he decided to toss it aside and continued to watch her. He would deal with that situation later on. Unbeknownst to him was the talisman began to pulse. It was also that moment when he noticed something blue come out from his haori and found that the talisman was glowing a sky blue. It was so strong it was blinding to the sight. He literally had to squint to see what was going on.

'Is it possible? No, it can't be her.' Sesshoumaru convinced himself. However, Naomi's words came back to him loud and clear which caused his trepidation to swell.

"_**This talisman will help tell you whether you have found her. It will glow a blue-ish color when she is around you."**_

'_Sweet mother of god. Looks like you've hit the jackpot, Sesshoumaru.' _Hiroshi stated rather teasingly.

Sesshoumaru ignored Hiroshi. He was too focused with what's happening. The talisman continued to glow a bright baby blue color. He didn't know what to do at this point. He's found her. Now what? His questions were soon answered when the talisman came to life. The apparatus once thought as flimsy now levitated out of Sesshoumaru's palm up to where the girl was. It seemed as if the talisman was trying to get the girl's attention. Once it was attained, he felt a pull towards the talisman. He tried to resist, but to no avail for the force pulling him was much stronger. Seconds later, he found himself face-to-face with the girl known as Kagome. He saw bewilderment upon her face mixed with shock and fear. He enjoyed how she cowered in fear and it stirred his demonic side to life.

…--0oo&oo0--…

Kagome was brought back to her surroundings when she heard someone call out her name. She tried to get her eyes to focus and dry her tears at the same time. Once she had her vision adjusted, she saw a blue light suspended in front of her. It was seconds later when she felt another presence other than her own and this bright sphere of light. Kagome began to panic, but tried to calm herself down. However, she failed miserably when she saw the least person she expected, not to mention one the most deadly too. Right in front of her stood Sesshoumaru in all his glory, looking down upon her as if she was prey. Kagome's fear came back full force as she struggled to break free from his intense gaze, but found it to be difficult. She couldn't tear away from the golden orbs that blocked any escape route that would bring her to safety for fear of being killed. Kagome didn't know what to do and calling for Inuyasha was simply unintelligent because she knew Sesshoumaru would have her throat within a matter of a second. So all she could do was to muster up all the courage that's left her and stand defiant against him.

"What do you want, Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked in a deadly tone.

'Hmm….she seems bold. This girl has wits to stand up against this Sesshoumaru, much less talk to me in such a manner.' Sesshoumaru mentally noted himself.

Having received dead silence, Kagome thought about what she should say next 'The silent answer. How unnerving.' She could feel her fear trying to take over her mind and body, but she roughly pushed that thought to the back of her head 'Must focus, Kagome. You know you can always purify his sorry ass if he tries anything' Kagome tried assuring herself. However, there was also another voice that told her she wouldn't even have a chance to summon up her purifying powers for she would be dead within a matter of seconds.

"Okay, fine. Be rude and don't answer me." Kagome tried once more. Sesshoumaru simply looked at her with those piercing gold eyes that bore upon her soul. She felt her knees shaking, but managed to stand straight.

"Still no answer, eh? Wow. You need speech classes." Kagome didn't know what she was doing. She just continued talking to him and soon eased her uneasiness slightly.

Kagome sighed. "Okay, how about, if you're here for Tetsusaiga, then tough luck for you. Inuyasha's not here."

"Who would have thought something so little could say so much?" Sesshoumaru finally enunciated.

"Oh wow, you're talking again. I thought you had gone mute" Kagome rolled her eyes at him. Within half of a second, Sesshoumaru had her frail neck between his grip, squeezing the life out of her. Sesshoumaru gave her a look that Satan probably couldn't beat as he spoke with a lethal tone. "You, woman, should watch your tongue. It could cost you your dear life." Sesshoumaru tightened his grip on her neck.

Kagome couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. She fell limp as Sesshoumaru continued to cut the circulation of air to her lungs, which were now screaming for oxygen. She was about to lose consciousness, but still managed to stand up tall from his spiteful threats.

"I'm not afraid of you….." Kagome said with her last breath. All she remembered was seeing a bright flash of light and Sesshoumaru being knocked down on top of her and the once tight grasp he had on her neck was now loose. She also felt something grasp her head as she landed with a loud 'thump' on the ground, with Sesshoumaru on top of her. Having had too much pressure upon her, Kagome succumbed into the darkness that was surrounding her.

Sesshoumaru was indeed enjoying this sight. He took great pleasure in seeing his prey fall limp under his grasp. It made him feel superior and powerful. He was about to snap her neck in two when he saw something bright flash right before his eyes and illuminated the clearing that both parties were. Then he felt something hit him from the backside sending him flying towards the near-unconscious girl. He let go of her neck and managed to put it beneath her head to cushion it from a severe fall. He doesn't know what made him do it, but he did it anyway. He landed with a 'thud' on top of Kagome. He saw the girl's eyes roll to the back of her head and fall unconscious. He turned around and saw the talisman turn into a portal of some sort and a strange-looking mist that took a humanoid form slightly stepped out of the portal. In its hand was a board with a piece of what looked like a jigsaw puzzle. However, his attention was brought back to the mist when it started pulling Sesshoumaru off Kagome and into the portal. It was not happy at all.

"**You dare take her life and you die as well."**

Soon, the portal became some sort of vacuum. It began to take in anything lightweight. However, the vacuum became stronger and Sesshoumaru felt himself being pulled in. He was trying with all his might to stay put in one spot, but it was increasingly becoming difficult. There was only one thing on his mind as this was occurring.

'_Kagome'

* * *

_

Thank goodness! My god, that took 3 hours to write! My fingers hurt like hell, so does my back. :cries: Well, whatever. I pretty much just scrunched up chapters 4 and 5 together since I had nothing better to do and I thought the progress of this story was quite slow. I don't want to keep my current readers waiting for too long and since they were nice enough to leave me reviews, good or bad. I'd like to thank:

**Ledophole: **Thank you. Your comment is highly appreciated. I'm glad you like my in-depth analysis of the characters. I do agree with you, though. A lot of the S/K fics are written like crap these days, but hey, I'm the one to talk. I hope you enjoyed it. Oh yeah, one more thing: say hi to your sister Maira for me and sorry for using her without her permission. I kind of just made up that name out of the blue so yeah…; forgive meh. Thanks again!

**Hikaritenshi2000: **I love you too! And thanks. I'm really happy that you love my story. I hope it's not like crap so far. Again, I'm new at these things so yeah…it's gonna take a while for me to get adjusted to stuff like this. But I'll really try to work on it though! Anyway, thanks again. I hope you enjoy!

**JC Black Moon: **Thanks! I really tried making Sesshoumaru's character to be cold and evil because..well..that's how he is! I don't seem to be too comfortable with Sesshoumaru being all 'happy-go-lucky' within the first two chapters 'coz..well…his demeanor is just….not suited for stuff like that in the beginning. Well, there would be a difference if it was AU or Sesshou was completely OOC, but in my story, I'm trying to stick to the Sesshoumaru I came to know (and love! Lol) Maybe his character will change in the future…or maybe he'll stay the same. I don't know. I'll have to see. But thanks anyway!

Well, that's all, folks! Read and Review! Flames are accepted, only if it involves improving my story, but if it's just nonsense bs then you can keep that for your own. Thank you!

-Jessss


	5. the search begins: Planet Mioar

Title: **The Jigsaw Puzzle**

A/N: Oh wow…sorry for keeping you guys waiting. It's been like…forever since I updated. Jeez. Well, school's really annoying and the load of work is just immense so I haven't had much time. Besides, I have this "agreement" thing that I'm only allowed 2 hours a day on the computer. Sucks. Oh well. Anyway, I also decided to write another 'experimental' story called **Deep Within**. It's not going to be under any category, just in general. Basically it's about the life of a teenager going through her everyday life (in first person narrative). Okay, that's all I'm going to say about that. Moving on. I didn't expect to get that many feedbacks from the previous chapter… (not that I'm complaining or anything, but I'm just saying.) Thanks you guys! It means so much to me :teary-eyed: lol. I love you all! (Again, honorable mentions will be at the bottom of the chapter) Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: me-no-own-Inuyasha. You-no-sue-me. Me-say-you-leave-me-be.

* * *

**

Chapter 5

It was dark. Youkais of all sorts come out of their hiding and venture through the forest in search of food. Whether it'd be from vermin to human flesh, many carnivorous creatures rummage around their premises ferociously. Howls could be heard from the distance joined by the night crickets making sounds. Fireflies danced around the clearing whist illuminating the dark surroundings with its sparks of light. It was a magnificent sight, on the contrary, a dangerous one as well, especially if one were to trek out here alone.

As the darkness completely blanketed the sky and the stars came out sparkling brightly, so were many posing threats that could attack at any moment. This, and many other things, was the main reason why a certain hanyou was distressed.

Inuyasha paced back and forth. He was getting extremely worried. It was nighttime and Kagome was still missing in action. He didn't know where she went off to and for what reason exactly. He did, however, speculated that she might have spotted a hot spring nearby and decided to take a relaxing bath. Kagome tends to do that quite often.

'Kagome's okay. She's probably with Sango taking her stupid bath someplace.' Inuyasha reassured himself. 'Feh, girls and their precious baths...' He added while snorting in the process. As much as he hated waiting, especially if it was because of Kagome's excessively time consuming baths, he couldn't deny the fact that he enjoyed her scent even more after she finished. It made her scent stronger and sweeter than it already was. He then became lost within his thoughts that he almost failed to notice the all-too familiar soul stealers that flew around the spot where Inuyasha was. He knew all too well what those ghostly snake-like creatures were which would mean his beloved was around. Excitement and anticipation quickly bubbled up within him as he took off in the direction where her scent was strongest.

_Kikyo. _

Inuyasha stopped in the middle of the forest. Enormous trees surrounded the area which served as a blanket of protection from outsiders' views. Rows of camellias were situated here and there along with a few mints scattered along. Fireflies flew around along with the soul stealers therefore it gave the area a mystified atmosphere. Moonlight shone upon the vicinity which added to the already serene environment. However, it wasn't the breathtaking surrounding that caught Inuyasha's attention, but rather the form of a woman wearing a priestess outfit in shades of red and white who stood a few feet from him. Her midnight black hair was tied in a low ponytail secured by a white ribbon. Her glossy, straight mane went down below her tiny waist while a few strands were left to hang by her shoulder. She also had ivory skin, but somehow it had a ghostly pale look to it. Despite all these attributes, there was still one thing that confirmed the abnormal aura around this woman. What gave it all off were her eyes—brown irises that were void of all emotion. Her eyes were lifeless, dull, and had a look of agony and longing in them. It was as if she had a traumatic ordeal that had left her scarred for life. The woman before Inuyasha was none other than Kikyo, the previous guardian of the Shikon no Tama and the woman who stole his heart away.

Kikyo was the one. She was the epitome of Inuyasha's existence. Those taunting eyes of hers along with the rest of her attributes made her look intimidating and strong which is what Inuyasha admired most, yet, the irony was that this woman was, indeed, **dead.** Those snake-like demons are actually her soul stealers; those conniving demons took the souls of those who have just departed from their mortal bodies and give it to her. The reason being is that because she is no longer living, her current existence is sustained by these souls that keep her mobile. These souls then get trapped within her, yet it is not enough. She has to continue feeding her body with new souls to keep herself 'alive' since she only possesses half a soul—Kagome's soul. In order for this girl to cease her theft of the souls of others, she must also acquire the other part of Kagome's soul which simply means that Kagome would have to perish.

"Kikyo" Inuyasha spoke with such delight.

"Inuyasha, my love." Kikyo said with a dead tone as she ran toward the hanyou, who was doing the same.

There they were. The couple embraced each other and shared a kiss filled with passion and longing under the moonlight. To anyone passing by, one would've thought that the couple was about to be wed or they were just lovers sharing their dire love for each other on a clear, night sky. The soul stealers circled around them, making them look more like an enchanting couple.

After several moments, both pulled away, gasping for air. Oh how Inuyasha loved the feel of her lips against his. He had missed Kikyo dearly. He pulled her in once more in a bone-crushing hug.

"Kikyo, I'vemissed you so much" Inuyasha said whilst nuzzling his sensitive nose on the crook of her neck. He grimaced at her foul scent, but chose to ignore it. What mattered more was the fact that she was here, in his arms, without a care with the rest of the world.

As Inuyasha cuddled her, Kikyo looked out to where the woods are and saw a baboon pelt half-hiding behind the trees. The figure behind the baboon outfit sent Kikyo a mental reminder as he nodded.

'_Remember your task, Kikyo. Bring both the Shikon shards and Kagome to me. You fail to do that and I shall take your soul away from you.'_

Kikyo shivered at that mental link that Naraku sent. She despised him to no end, but the only reason why she complied to his wishes was because of the fact that he now held the line between her and hell. If she wasn't going to end up murdering Kagome for her other half of her soul, then she will either have Inuyasha do it for her or just take him down to hell with her.

Inuyasha felt Kikyo shiver. Concern was etched all across his face as he kept her warm by snuggling her closer to him. He didn't want any harm coming towards his Kikyo, his precious, his only true love.

Kikyo took this cue to speak. She knew that Inuyasha was under her spell since he would do anything for her. However, rumor has it that he's been a bit too close with her reincarnate, Kagome. She had to confirm that she still held all of his heart and no one else.

"Inuyasha, do you love me?" Kikyo asked in a voice that no human ears could comprehend. However, Inuyasha heard every single word loud and clear.

"Yes, of course, Kikyo. I would do anything for you" Inuyasha replied. He didn't know why she was asking such a stupid question when she already knew that he would do anything for her, even if it means going to hell with her.

Kikyo cried in his arms. She clutched to him as if there was no tomorrow and buried her face in his red haori. Inuyasha, on the other hand, was alarmed at the sudden outburst of his beloved. He wanted to ease her pain and suffering. He placed his forefinger underneath her chin and lifted her face up. He looked down upon her cold, brown eyes with loving golden orbs that showed concern and worry.

"What's the matter, my love? Is something bothering you?" Inuyasha asked.

"It's just that—" Kikyo spoke in between sobs "It's just that sometimes I feel like you're slipping before my fingers and into someone else's…I just feel that I've been so horrible to you that I might be driving you away" Kikyo said, tears now running down her face. Who would've thought she was a great actress?

Inuyasha felt a pang within his chest. So he was the cause of her tears and her pain. He cradled her close to his chest and stroked her hair affectionately.

"No, Kikyo. I haven't been slipping under your fingers, my love. You're still my one and only and nothing will ever change that. You have been the only one who showed great love and care to me and I am forever yours." Inuyasha said whilst kissing her tears away.

"Then what would be of my reincarnate, Kagome? Don't you have feelings for her too?"

Inuyasha stopped. What about Kagome? Did he really love her? If he did, then was it stronger than what he felt for Kikyo? It wasn't but a few days ago when he nearly confessed his love to her and here he was, in front of the girl who stole his heart, telling her the same. He didn't know what to do.

Kikyo took this hint as a 'yes' thus pulling away from him with such great force. Betrayal was etched all over her face.

"I knew it. You **do** feel something for that worthless reincarnate of mine, am I right, Inuyasha?" she asked demandingly.

"No! Kikyo, that's not how it is!" Inuyasha reasoned out.

"Then explain yourself, Inuyasha" Kikyo insisted with anger.

Inuyasha sighed, but continued explaining. He was too worried about Kikyo leaving him that he wasn't thinking properly. He was too caught in the moment that he failed to think through what he said, but went along anyway. Right now, the only thing that mattered was to assure Kikyo that she was the only one.

"Kagome is merely my shard detector. The only reason why I keep her with me was because of the fact that she can sense and purify shards. Once the jewel is complete, I will get rid of her once and for all that way you and I will be together once more." Inuyasha explained with great detail. Those words just flowed down his lips like running water. It was too late to take back what he said and those words fell down on Kikyo like cool rain on a summer's day. It was refreshing and wonderful.

'Just what I was looking for. Good, Inuyasha' Kikyo mentally told herself. She had him good.

Inuyasha was about to continue when something like an explosion echoed through the forest. This noise was soon followed by a rush of wind toward the south. Both Inuyasha and Kikyo did not know what was going on and what the blue light meant. They both decided to continue their confrontation another time and instead focus their attention on the explosion south of their current location.

"Get on my back, Kikyo. It will take us there faster." Inuyasha suggested. Kikyo, complying with his suggestion, hitched herself onto Inuyasha's back and snuggled close to him. She rubbed her cheek against his and placed a loving kiss on it.

"I love you, Inuyasha"

"I love you too, Kikyo"

Inuyasha soon leapt in the air and headed towards the place where the commotion was coming from.

…--0oo&oo0--…

Sesshoumaru grabbed on to a protruding rock on his left. He dug his claws into the solid rock in order to serve as a stabilizing force. The portal vacuum's power was increasing by the minute and it was getting harder and harder to see due to the debris flying all over the place. He was too concerned about his well being that he almost forgot the other figure lying a few feet away from him. His golden eyes shifted from the surroundings to the girl that lay unconscious on the forest floor. Blood seeped its way out of the side of her head and was now traveling down the side of her face. She looked peaceful, yet the several scratches as well as the reddening mark on her neck soon mislead that thought. Sesshoumaru couldn't take his eyes off her. He was contemplating whether to grab her from getting pulled into the portal or just leave her to die.

'_You idiot! Go and get her! You can't let her slip out like that!' _Hiroshi pleaded with Sesshoumaru.

'Why should I? Of what use would she be to this Sesshoumaru?' Sesshoumaru answered back.

'_Uh, if you're forgetting, Lord Sesshoumaru. This girl holds the key to your fate and the fate of your land._'

'Why must you remind me so?'

'_It's my duty to do so'_

Sesshoumaru saw the girl's body inching closer to the portal. Without second thought, he used his white, fluffy tail to grab her. Luckily, his tail was able to get hold of her wrist, yet it pained him so. Soon, Sesshoumaru felt himself getting weak due to the excessive use of his power in order to keep both himself and Kagome from being sucked into the portal. It was moments later when he scented his half-brother and the clay pot quickly approaching. This was the least he expected and cursed the gods for putting him in such a situation. Not only was he trying to get himself to stay on this earth along with the girl, but now he also had to deal with the bastard. For one, Sesshoumaru knew that Inuyasha would mock him and scrutinize him for looking so weak and fallible in the eyes of everyone—humans, hanyous, and demons of all kind. Lord Sesshoumaru was struggling—struggling to stay intact and slowly fading. He knew it would be a nightmare and he hated looking feeble in front of his brother or anyone.

He spotted Inuyasha and his dead lover at the edge of the clearing and saw him trying to hold on to a tree bark whilst supporting the dead priestess by her waist. Indeed, he was having difficulty just like Sesshoumaru which brought some amusement to the stoic lord. However, he still heard the hanyou utter accusations and such about the unconscious girl just meters from him. How dense could his half-brother get?

"You bastard, what the hell did you do to Kagome?" yelled an infuriated Inuyasha.

"I did nothing to her, idiot." Sesshoumaru replied coolly despite the fact that he was anything but cool at the moment.

"Then let her go. Give her to me. Right now." Inuyasha said threateningly. He took hold of Tetsusaiga's hilt as he prepared himself to fight with Sesshoumaru. No one was to touch Kagome like that, not to mention hurt her in any way. Kagome's life was in grave danger and the fact that she was unconscious was a bad sign. She must've injured her head and was now bleeding profusely. "Don't touch **my **Kagome" Inuyasha uttered as he let go of both the tree branch and Kikyo and let himself be dragged to where Sesshoumaru and Kagome were, Tetsusaiga now in its transformed form.

"You fool." Sesshoumaru said. "It is evident that you are with that claypot dead corpse of a lover, yet you claim the miko as your own. If she were yours, she wouldn't be here lying unconscious right now. You are a disgrace." Sesshoumaru was going to continue, but was soon cut short when the once tough rock dislodged itself free from the ground and cracked into pieces. Both Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's eyes widened at what just transpired. They both knew what was coming. Inuyasha pushed himself harder to get to Kagome with all his might before they were pulled. Sesshoumaru, on the other hand, was suspended in the air for a second until he gave in to exhaustion and was sucked into the portal with the unconscious Kagome trailing behind. However, before Sesshoumaru made his exit, he managed to get hold of the yellow bag that flew into the gaping portal.

Once both parties were within the hodgepodge of the darker-than-black craze, the vacuum-like portal diminished into thin air, leaving behind shreds of once sturdy trunks and rocks. The whole clearing looked as if a tornado swept by followed by a hurricane. The trees were disheveled, debris of all sorts were scattered all over the place, and all that was left of the clearing were the earth, some smoke, and two figures standing in the distance. Inuyasha feel limp to his knees with shock, horror and disbelief dominating his features. Kagome was gone. Gone with Sesshoumaru. He promised to protect her. He failed. She's in grave danger. He's going to kill her. Broken thoughts entered his mind which was left unanswered and unfinished. He was just too disorientated to think straight and evaluate the current events. It was as if the whole world just flashed before his eyes without him neither realizing nor acting upon it. Inuyasha gazed at the spot where both Sesshoumaru and Kagome were just seconds ago and tried to process what his brother had said before he vanished into the black hole.

"_If she were yours, she wouldn't be here lying unconscious right now."_

His words echoed like huge gongs ringing so loud and clear. Sesshoumaru was right. Kagome would still be conscious and go about her happy self trying to meet the needs of everyone in camp or preparing their meals right now. He had failed her. He had failed to save her. He had failed to protect her and make sure she was alright. He had failed. He had broken his promise. He was a disgrace.

After moments of hypnosis, Inuyasha silently broke down. He let his silver mane fall upon his face to hide his tears from the rest of the world. He hung his head down in shame and discomfiture for what he had done. He let the darkness and the still surrounding engulf him as he grieved for his lost one. Because of his overwhelming emotions, he had failed to notice that Kikyo also left the clearing. Right now, however, he did not care whatsoever.

Kikyo, on the other hand, had a frown upon her face as she watched Inuyasha from a nearby tree not too far off.

"So much for that shard detector, eh Inuyasha?"

And with that, she too, left him to the comforts of darkness.

…--0oo&oo0--…

It was morning…or so it seemed. The area was engulfed with a light that came down from the heavens above. The sound of running water could be heard nearby. There were gushes of wind every once in a while that seemed to be brushing up against surrounding trees. Smooth little pebbles the size of marbles were scattered along the banks of the now visible stream that carried water. Alongside the stream, a few carnations sprouted out and gave color to the area. The multi-faceted hybrids gave off a luminescent aura of blue, yellow, and gold around its edges as well as silver all throughout the stems and leaves. Aside from the strange-looking plants were the creatures that walked its earth as well. The firefly-looking insects were twice the size of a regular firefly and it also gave out different colors of light, varying from green, to red, to orange, to burgundy, and to white in what seemed to be approximately a 5-second interval. The butterflies had long ribbon-like tails that gave off little sparkles as they fluttered by from one flower to another. The ground consisted of different shades of green, depending on its location and exposure to the "sun". Up in the heavens above was not one sun present, but rather 2 brightly shining stars slightly bigger than the Earth's sun along with five or six moons on an elliptical orbit around the two suns. The sky was splashed with shades of yellow and orange as well as little hints of red. On the right of the stream were two figures, one with ebony hair and a green-like outfit and the other with silver, white and red aspects. One would say they were lovers basking under the suns for they were at such close proximity and looked so calm, so serene. The figure underneath had his hand on the other's waist, whilst the other hand was laced with the black-haired figure's fingers. Both seem to be in a sleep trance and nothing could disturb the heavenly couple.

… Until a rabbit stepped on a protruding twig nearby.

Sesshoumaru woke up with a start. His golden orbs adjusted to the surroundings and tried to gain focus. He felt something warm on top of him and also felt something in his grasp. In all truth and honesty, he was comfortable as can be and did not want to break hold of whatever was causing it, yet, his subconscious mind told him that there were other things at hand and something was way off. Having had time to recollect the turn of events, Sesshoumaru's eyes widened by mere millimeters when he remember just who was on top of him and whose hand he was holding.

"Inuyasha's wench…" he said to himself.

Just like quick lightning, he bolted straight up, knocking the sleeping girl to the ground. He tried to pry his fingers off of hers, and let go of his grasp around her waist. Sesshoumaru remembered everything; the confrontation, the portal, and how Inuyasha went after him with Tetsusaiga in its transformed form. How did this all happen?

However, the main question in his mind was…

'Where on heaven's name am I?'

By default, his question was answered all too quickly.

'_Ahh…it's good to see you awake again, Lord Sesshoumaru'_

'Hiroshi, I don't need you to annoy me right now.'

'_Oh, but you do. You have no idea where you are right now. Am I correct?'_

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened. 'How did you acquire such information?'

Hiroshi replied smugly '_Don't tell me you forgot already that I know whatever it is that you think of. I'm in your mind, duh.'_

Sesshoumaru raised a brow 'Duh? What kind of absurd word is that?'

Hiroshi chuckled '_Why, it's something that I've picked up from your lady, my lord.' _He knew this was going to pull at his nerves.

Sesshoumaru frowned. 'She . is . **not **. my . lady.'

'_I don't know, Sesshoumaru…not yet, at least.'_

'Not yet? Do you mean to imply something to this Sesshoumaru?'

Hiroshi shut his mouth and declined to respond.

'Answer me.'

'_I can't.'_

'And why not?'

'_My orders are strictly enforced. I cannot and will not speak of it any longer…of course with the exception of the fact that I get to taunt you mercilessly.' _Hiroshi added slyly.

Sesshoumaru sighed with annoyance. He hated this by the minute.

'I shall look unto this matter in the future; however, do you have the slightest idea as to where I am right now?'

After a short pause, Hiroshi spoke._'You are at the planet Mioar. It is similarly like the land where you came from, yet it has its different elements too, as you can see. The inhabitants of this planet are not humans or youkais alike, but are called Miuurx. They are highly possessive and territorial when threatened, and in some cases they are all too deadly. They value the artifacts of their different clans and negotiate through trading. That's all I know about them.' _

'Alright, that will do for now. So they are like youkai clans, are they not?'

'_Yes they are, but are different in several ways as well. You see, Miuurx clans are strict and rigid. They show no mercy to their fellow clansmen when challenged and devour the other in a gruesome way either as a form of unworthiness, punishment, or just sheer pleasure.'_

'Hmm….' Sesshoumaru pondered. He tried to let the information sink in within his mind. 'So they are cannibalistic.'

'_Yes.'_

Sesshoumaru was silent. Now how was he to know where one of the jigsaw puzzles was in this place? Even with his youkai speed, there's no possible way that he can acquire that little item within a matter of hours. Not to mention that these…things…seem to be uncivilized and completely nomadic to even deal with.

His train of thought was soon broken when he heard a groan of some sort coming out from his side. He saw the girl known as Kagome stir and finally open her eyes within a matter of seconds, revealing two azure eyes staring blankly at the sky.

Sesshoumaru stared at her. He was going to have to ask her how she acquired such translucent blue eyes with darker shades of blue and gray later. He pushed that thought into the back of his mind and thought about where he should begin his hunt.

…--0oo&oo0--…

After several attempts to blink out the light and the blurriness that clouded her vision, Kagome finally gained focus and clutched her head. She had a massive headache and it was making her vision worse and her head spinning.

"Ugh, where am I?" she asked herself.

Kagome was startled to hear a smooth, rich voice answer her question.

"You are in Mioar, planet of Miuurx."

Kagome blinked. Mioar? Miuurx? What were those? She's never heard of such names before. On top of that, why was she there, and who was with her? Wanting to find answers, she did an about-face and stopped dead in her tracks. Right in front of her was none other than Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands and Inuyasha's older half-brother. Kagome's mouth hung ajar at the sight of him and her breath hitched in her throat. What was she doing in a place like this with **_him_** out of all people?

"You should close your mouth before flies take a liking and decide to turn the insides of your mouth into their haven." Sesshoumaru said unperturbedly. He made sure he had his stoic face on the outside, but inside, he was rather amused.

Kagome blinked a few more times until finally, realization dawned on her. Her eyes went about the size of saucers as her expression turned from confusion into horrification. Her cheeks also took in a shade of red at his statement. She must've looked stupid and dumb with her mouth hanging open like that. However, she didn't care at the moment about what he thought of her. She wanted answers and she wanted then **now.**

With a big gulp of air, Kagome began her attack of questions. "Alright, what the hell are you doing here? Why am I here? Why am I here with **you**? Who gave you the right to bring me to a place like this? Where are my friends? Where's Inuyasha? Where are my things? How am I supposed to get the hell away from you and from this place and **why are you just standing there looking like you couldn't give two shits about what's going on?**" Kagome let out in one breath. Her throat hurt, most likely from saying a string of questions all in one shot in a tone much higher than her usual volume. She crossed her arms across her chest and tapped her foot, waiting for an answer. She looked like a teacher waiting for an explanation from a student caught doing something he wasn't supposed to do. Sesshoumaru on the other hand, continued to stare at her nonchalantly and dared not move a muscle as he scanner her. Kagome felt uneasy at the ever-growing silence. She didn't like being looked over like she was vermin of some sort. After moments passed by and still no answer from Sesshoumaru, Kagome decided to take the initiative. He was going to be difficult, eh?

"Um, hello? Sesshoumaru, are you there?" Kagome inched toward him, whilst waving an open palm across his face. "You know, it's rude to doze out whenever someone's asking you a question." She emphasized.

"For your information, you did not ask just one question." Sesshoumaru finally spoke.

Bringing her hands together to form a clap, Kagome replied."Oh kami, you're alive! Wow, I thought you turned into a living statue."

"Your sarcasm bores me." Sesshoumaru replied in a bored tone.

"Well, excuse me, Mister I'm-too-holier-than-you-so-I'll-shut-up. At least I'm making an effort to ease the tension in here, unlike you and your pompous self." Kagome huffed, placing her hands on her waist in a defying manner.

Within less of a second, Kagome was suspended in thin air. "You listen to this Sesshoumaru and listen well, wench. You dare speak to me in such a manner and I will not hesitate to twist your head upside down and break every last bone in your body so if I were you, I'd learn my place and keep my tiny mouth shut." Sesshoumaru said menacingly, tightening his hold on her neck.

"My, my, doesn't this seem all too familiar?" Kagome replied, looking down at him while at the same time trying to ease the tension building around her neck by prying his fingers off.

Sesshoumaru smiled. "In fact, it is. Thank the gods for they have saved you that time, but this time your luck's ran out, **miko**." The youkai lord made sure he'd emphasized the 'miko' part strongly.

"And as you know, I can purify your sorry ass if you dare hurt me in any way" Kagome tried to sound stern, but to no avail. Inside, she was shaking violently out of fear and anxiety. Five minutes with this arrogant bastard and already, he knew her weak points. Was she easily read like an open book?

"Oh really? I'd like to see you try." Sesshoumaru put on an evil smirk as he squeezed her neck, preventing any oxygen from traveling into her lungs. He loved torturing people, especially weaklings.

Kagome, on the other hand, tried to summon her powers, but was failing miserably for she was at the brink of unconsciousness from the loss of air.

And as if by lightning, the once tight grasp upon Kagome's neck was suddenly released when Sesshoumaru dropped to his knees clutching his head. Kagome, on the other hand, tried to regain her balance and watched with perplexity as Sesshoumaru battled whatever he was battling inside his mind. It seemed to be giving Sesshoumaru much pain and he was really having a hard time. Kagome moved closer to Sesshoumaru to ease his pain when he growled loudly, warning her to stay away.

"Sesshoumaru, what's the matter?"

Sesshoumaru tried to reply without hinting the fact that he was in pain. "Nothing. Don't. Concern. Yourself. With. My. Well. Being—"

However, Kagome did not comply. She didn't care about the fact that he just tried to end her life moments ago. She was concerned about him and went her way to find something—anything—to relieve him of his pain. Once that's done, then she'll deal with his arrogant, proud self later. Scanning her premises for some type of herb or anything she could use, she was all too glad to spot her yellow oversized book bag lying just a few feet away. Quickly, she got to her feet and went to her first aid kit, taking out a pill and a cup to collect water from the stream.

"The water looks clean enough…" Kagome said to herself. She stooped low to fill the empty cup with water. Kagome took a small sip as she was heading back towards Sesshoumaru, who was now on bended knees with his head drooped low. She approached him carefully, not to alarm him and worsen his condition.

"Here, take this. It should help." Kagome offered the white round pill to him.

"I don't need your help, ningen." Sesshoumaru bit out.

Kagome sighed. "Look, you don't like me, and I don't particularly like you either, but right now just swallow that damn pride of yours and take this and later on you can berate me or whatever it is that you do to make you feel superior and crap." she reasoned out. He was proving to be more difficult than she thought.

Sesshoumaru was not convinced. He was still wary of her actions. How could someone shift positions that quickly? It was clearly sporadic. "How is this Sesshoumaru supposed to know that you are not poisoning me with that thing in your hand?" Sesshoumaru pointed out.

"Goddammit, Sesshoumaru. Just take the pill and shut up! I'm not gonna poison you because that's just wrong on my part. You don't take somebody down when they are in no state to fight." Kagome said, aggravated.

'At least she has honor' Sesshoumaru thought. 'What is this cursed headache?'

'_It's Naomi's way of punishing you for inflicting pain upon Kagome. She knew you had every intention to kill her and she put this upon you to stop you from doing such an act.' _Hiroshi clarified.

'So not only is this Sesshoumaru stuck with a human wench, but now I also cannot kill her?' Sesshoumaru mentally said, exasperated.

'_Correct.' _Hiroshi replied.

Having had no choice, Sesshoumaru felt defeated. He finally came to terms that he had to be with the most annoying human girl that ever existed in all creation as his punishment on top of all the others. Surely this was another step deeper into hell. However, Sesshoumaru decided not to completely put his guard down, for he had other plans in mind. But, for right now, he will just temporarily comply, which would mean taking in that object in the girl's hand. He still had his suspicions about the so-called 'pill', as she referred to it. What might it do to him? Right now he just wanted this headache out. Now.

Sesshoumaru finally took his clawed hand and grabbed the round pill. He brought it up to his sensitive nose to sniff any impurities or black magic and found none. Having decided that there were no spells or anything binding him to her or anyone else present, he swallowed it whole. The proud demon lord felt the medicinal item move its way down his throat and into his esophagus. On the contrary, the 'pill' itself was void of any savoring taste and had a bitter taste to it. He tried to keep himself from vomiting the disgusting remedy.

Kagome was surprised. Was she seeing things? Her mind better not be playing tricks on her…or maybe it was. Maybe she was just being delusional when he just swallowed the Tylenol in whole. She was brought out of her trance when she felt the cup being taken away from her hold. She saw Sesshoumaru trying to pry her fingers off the plastic utensil. Having realized what he wanted to do, she brought the cup to his lips and let him drink in cold water. When he was finished, she went back to her school bag and put back everything. Once she was done, she found the taiyoukai gazing upon the horizon with his back facing her. She wanted to converse or something interesting since she was bored out of her mind, but decided to go with remaining quiet for fear of having the same scenario reoccur once more. Kagome shifted from one foot to another and went to her backpack every once in a while to occupy her mind with something.

After hours of nonproductive activity, Kagome finally gave up. He had been standing around for four hours now! Sometimes she wondered whether he really was alive or maybe he was some type of robot under layers of silicon material intended to serve as legitimate skin, just like in that American movie she saw weeks before.

'What was it called? Bicentennial Man? Yeah, that one, with that American actor…something Williams.' Kagome questioned herself mentally. 'Maybe he's a robot….I mean, he's gorgeous and breathtak—' Kagome stopped herself from continuing her mental statement. She did not just think of Sesshoumaru as hot.

'Ugh! What's wrong with me! Clearly he's an egocentric, proud, bloodthirsty, pompous jerk who tried to take my life multiple times every time we encounter each another, and not to mention he's cold, uncaring, a smartass, and has the nicest hair in all of history.' Kagome stopped herself once more. She was becoming frustrated. Can there be any time when she would not think of him with outstanding features?

'Damn him and his beautiful self. I envy him.' Kagome told herself. 'Why can't I beautiful like him?' She then started giggling at the fact that she just referred to Sesshoumaru as being beautiful. Soon, she was having mental images of Sesshoumaru in dresses and how it would be like if he were to visit her era. Boys would be after him asking him for a date and probably feeling him up in places where their hands shouldn't be. Her soft giggles then turned into explosive fits of laughter at the thought of Sesshoumaru killing those boys viciously while the others were screaming home for their mothers. Soon she was on the floor holding her stomach from laughing so hard while she wiped the tears from her eyes.

Sesshoumaru, on the other hand, was brought out of his thoughts at the sound of someone laughing. He turned around to see the once fiery girl down on the ground laughing like a maniac. He did not know what caused her to just express complete amusement out of the blue when clearly there was nothing in sight to make her amused. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at her and watched as she rolled around the grass, laughing harder and harder by the minute. He wanted to know what was causing her to have such a hard laugh over pretty much—nothing.

Raising a perfectly shaped brow at her, Sesshoumaru asked away. "What is so amusing?" He asked inquisitively. He expected her to answer right away and stop her musings since she distracted him from his thoughts. No one dared to interrupt him during his quiet moments.

Kagome, on the other hand, was now gasping for air as she tried to collect herself and answer his question.

"Nothing…it's just…you…dress…boys…running…screaming…mothers…hahahaha!" Kagome said in-between gasps. Soon, she started her involuntary laughter once more.

Sesshoumaru was confused. She spoke in broken words. What was she trying to say? "What?" he asked dully. She was putting him in a state of perplexity. He failed to see the connection with screaming mothers and him with boys or whatever she said. Surely there was something he missed along the way.

'Something about me, a dress, boys, running, screaming…and mothers?' Sesshoumaru asked himself mentally.

As if by default, Hiroshi decided to butt in. He supported the demon lord's position wholeheartedly. _'Hmm…I don't know.' _Hiroshi replied. He too was confused as well.

Clearing his thoughts, he decided to state the obvious instead. "You are out of your mind, girl." Sesshoumaru said. He did not comprehend what she was trying to point out. Her arm movements and the way she moved about did not give away anything as well. Sesshoumaru rubbed his temples. He needed to get away from here...and _her_.

Kagome was oblivious to the youkai's words thus continued to laugh hysterically.

Sighing, Sesshoumaru turned around. "Suit yourself, wench. This Sesshoumaru is leaving." the bothered dog demon lord stated before walking away into the forest.

Having realized what just transpired, Kagome, after taking in deep breaths, finally calmed down a little. When she saw that Sesshoumaru was leaving, she called out to him.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Kagome cried out, struggling to swing her bag onto her shoulder in the process.

"Far away from you." Sesshoumaru stopped his movements and faced the opposite direction.

"Why didn't you tell me we were leaving?" Kagome asked, coming closer to where he stood.

"You were clearly in your insane state. How was this Sesshoumaru able to communicate with someone who was not capable of dealing with their mental issues?" Sesshoumaru replied with ease.

"Excuse you, but I was amusing myself since I was bored out of my mind! If only someone didn't take hours to stand around and stare at trees then I would've been fine!" Kagome stomped her foot on the ground as if trying to prove a point.

Sesshoumaru just stared. Was he expected to care about her interests? He didn't think so. Plastering an uninterested look upon his face, the taiyoukai spoke. "That does not concern this Sesshoumaru." the proud demon replied, this time facing her.

Kagome was getting irritated. What's with him? The Prince of all Shitness was once again being oblivious about the welfare of others and was instead focused on his own. She pointed a shaky finger at him, as if he was to be blamed for a hideous crime."Uh, yes it does. Unfortunately I have to be trapped with you in god-knows-what-planet and the fact that you're being difficult to deal with is not solving anything. Besides, you have an explanation to make, you…you…you…demon!" Kagome accused boldly, dropping her bag onto to the grassy ground.

"Oh and what explanation do I owe this to?" Sesshoumaru asked. He made several mental notes about her rising temper and was quite interested in seeing how she would react. He was going to try and have some fun pulling at her string's end. Eventually, that wasn't a smart move and he will later regret thinking such a way to bring about amusement to himself.

Kagome was winded up. She could clearly see a similarity with Inuyasha. Then again, they are related. 'Hmm…it must be some type of family trait: arrogance. Why me, kami, why?' She concluded.

"Well? I'm waiting." Sesshoumaru implied. He has never, in his entire life, acted in such a way that would degrade him down to acting at the mindset of an eight-year-old.

"Oh quit your whining. You have to tell me what the hell I'm doing in some creepy place with you." Kagome stated, crossing her arms in the process.

"Now why should I tell you?" Sesshoumaru retorted. He kept a steady gaze at her.

"Because I said so." Kagome replied back demandingly, flinging her arms and resting it upon her waist.

"Who gave you the right to declare whether something should be said according to your own wishes?" Sesshoumaru implied, whilst raising a brow at her.

"Oh look who's talking," Kagome began, aggravation noted in her expression "—and who gave you the right to be so downright arrogant and not tell me what is going on?" she continued; her arms now folded across her chest once more. She was not going to back down so easily, not until she got what she wanted.

"That, is not important." Sesshoumaru stated factually.

Kagome had enough. This guy was worse than Inuyasha, Kouga, and Hojo combined. First, she almost gets killed _twice_, then she's victimized by his lack of social skills, and now she won't be given an explanation as to what connection she has with him and this place. What had she done to deserve such a fate?

"Arrrggghhh…" Kagome squealed in vexation. "You **jerk**!"

Surprised, Sesshoumaru blinked at her usage of words, especially in reference to him.

"I beg your pardon?" Sesshoumaru asked coolly, but in a low and deadly tone of voice.

By this point, Kagome just lost it. She didn't care whether she insulted him in any way or whatnot. She was beyond the threat of having her carcasses scattered all over just because she called him a jerk. Pointing her forefinger at him, Kagome shrieked. "You heard me, goddammit!" She was now seething with anger. "First you tried to kill me, then you yell at me 'coz I only want to help and now you don't want to give me a reason why I'm here in some hellhole with a jerk like you who clearly doesn't know jack shit about what you're doing!"

Sesshoumaru went rigid. He felt his jaw clench and his fingers twitched involuntarily. This wench was getting on his nerves. Tremendously.

As if that wasn't enough, Kagome continued to rant on. "Why did you drag me—Kagome—out of all the bitches who would've loved to get stuck with you in some unknown land? I know there's something that you're not telling me and it involves my assistance because if it didn't then I wouldn't be right here right now. Listen, if you don't speak up, then I'm not moving from this spot!" Kagome stomped her foot down on the ground like a spoiled child.

Sesshoumaru stared blankly at her. Where was she getting at? Does she think such action would have an effect on him? If so, then she's dreaming. "Alright, suit yourself, woman." The demon lord stood straighter and looked at her rebellious form. Having had his eardrums most likely busted, he decided to do an about face once more and began to walk away from the insufferable child.

Kagome's finger flew up and pointed at his retreating form. "Come back here! HEY! You can't leave me like this!" she cried.

Sesshoumaru decided to ignore her livid screams and continued to head to somewhere. Where exactly? He didn't know. But, if it meant that it would start his long journey to finding one of the many lost puzzle pieces and getting away from the annoying wench, then so be it. He tuned her out as he approached the end of the clearing.

Kagome sighed in frustration. "Kami, I'm gonna have a heart attack by the time I'm 20! Stupid demons and their bastard selves. Just because he's the lord of one section of Japan doesn't mean he can control the entire universe and do it according to his will. It's so unfair! I swear, next time, I'll purify his ass down to hell and back up ten fold…UGH! Stupid jerk!" she mumbled to herself as she took hold of her backpack and swung it across her shoulder. "He's even worse than Inuyasha! I mean, if I only had prayer beads with me I would've attached a hundred on his neck already and subdued him until he made a crater the size of the moon!" She continued to grumble upon herself as she took pursuit after the demon lord. Unbeknownst to her was the fact that he heard every single word she uttered which both amused and irked the demon lord at the same time.

'Great' Sesshoumaru inwardly sighed. 'Now I'm gonna have her follow me.'

'_Relax, Sesshoumaru. It can't be that bad' _Hiroshi tried to "reassure" him.

'Your words do not comfort me, you pest. I know you are just amusing yourself.' Inwardly sighing, Sesshoumaru was frustrated. Now he had two incompetent fools to deal with; one in his mind and one following him.

'_Yadi…Yadi…Yah…' _Hiroshi hummed. Boy, was Sesshoumaru clever for a demon.

Sesshoumaru just rolled his eyes and continued on his way with Kagome trailing behind.

…--0oo&oo0--…

Kagome was having a difficult time with her backpack. It was heavier than she thought! She glared at the demon lord's back with the dire urge to just swing this oversized bag onto his head from behind. However, knowing the fact that he was faster than a blink of an eye, she would just be wasting her energy and her time. On top of that, her headache was growing by the minute.

'Aw man, I should've taken Tylenol while I had the chance.' Kagome pouted. She was such a dope. Was her day going to get worse? She couldn't help but put all of the blame on Sesshoumaru for delaying her said schedule…which in this case would be taking the medicine. Who would've thought American medicine worked more effectively than Japanese remedies? As she kept walking, she was lost within her thoughts that she failed to realize that Sesshomaru had come to an abrupt stop and was now gazing at the surrounding forest. Just as she was about to release her heavy sigh, she walked right into the demon lord's back. Kagome blinked a few times before realizing that she was now head on with Sesshoumaru's tail.

Sesshoumaru threw a side glance at her. 'Could this girl get any denser than she already was?' he mentally asked himself. He then raised his hand to brush the imaginary lint that supposedly clung to his pristine fluffy tail. "You should watch where you're going." he said monotonously. He prayed to the gods that she would not scream her head off once more. Apparently, none of the gods listened to his plea as he was now in a situation where he would lose his mind once again.

Kagome stuck her tongue out at him and clenched her fists at her sides. "Well, sor-ry, your Almighty One."

Sesshoumaru smiled. Now that's what he wanted to hear. "Hmm...I like that." He placed his finger under his chin as he examined her facial features go from sarcasm to plain disgust.

Kagome scrunched up her nose. "Hah, you wished!"

"Indeed."

"Jerk."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his golden orbs down at her. "Wench…" he bit out.

Azure eyes mocked his facial expression and narrowed her eyes dangerously back at him as well. "Jackass…"

"You really are pushing your boundaries beyond its limits, _miko._"

"And you are doing the same with this miko's patience, _demon._"

Both Sesshoumaru and Kagome were in a long, heated staring contest. Golden orbs against blue ones, they stood in silence and let their eyes do all the battling. After minutes passed by, Kagome's eyes gave up in defeat as her eyelids cascaded down her eyes, cutting off the sight of her fiery blue orbs from the intense golden gaze. Long eyelashes brushed along her cheekbone as it swayed in an up and downward motion. Kagome sighed in defeat.

"Alright, alright. You win." Kagome declared whilst crossing her arms in defeat.

"Indeed." came the smug reply from the victor, Sesshoumaru.

This time it was Kagome's turn to raise a brow. This guy was peculiar indeed. 'Ahh! Great. He's rubbing off on me with that stupid "indeed" of his! I'm really losing my mind. Kami, help my brain!' Kagome pleaded inwardly. She then took this opportunity to question him. "Oh what, is 'indeed' your favorite phrase of all time or something? Can't you say something else like a 'yes' or 'possibly' or 'true'...you know, the normal words?"

Sesshoumaru was blank. This wench even had the nerve to correct his speech! He was utterly surprised to find that he had a little bit more patience left with her nonsense behavior. For one, she was an odd creature. He himself wasn't sure whether she really was human or not. Humans did not act this way back in the Sengoku Jidai. Was it possible that humans acted the way she did in the place that she came from? If so, that would be a traumatic travesty. In the end, he decided to add his interest on her origin on his list of things that was held on queue right now.

After moments of complete silence, Sesshoumaru finally decided to say something to answer the miko's question. "Possibly" the demon lord pronounced, mocking Kagome. He was about to make a snide remark when all of a sudden his senses picked up scents those different from both his and Kagome's. He also felt their auras as they surrounded him all around the forest. Sesshoumaru cursed himself mentally. Why had he not sensed them before? Either he let his guard down, or these creatures were following suit all this time. Whatever the reason was, it was all too late to ponder upon such thoughts. He whispered menacingly low so that only Kagome could hear as he prepared himself in his fighting stance.

"We have company."

Kagome heard his words loud and clear. She was about to respond in a not-so-inviting way when she felt another aura to her left. Within a matter of seconds, there were many more that surrounded them, which put both her and surprisingly enough, Sesshoumaru on guard. She then heard him say that there were others surrounding them, which confirmed her thoughts. How did they get here so fast? Why so many all at once? She too prepared herself to fight as she called upon her miko powers and held them at bay. Silence hung around the area as the afternoon sun took its hold, dominating the other two suns high in the heavens above. All that could be heard were the rustling of foliage here and there, and breathing. Sesshoumaru had his fighting face on, which had a look that could freeze someone at the spot as if a bucket of ice-cold water were poured upon them. He had all of his senses active and keen to detect any slight movement whatsoever. He positioned himself back-to-back with Kagome as he heard footsteps coming closer to their spot. Wielding Tokijin in his hand, Sesshoumaru prepared himself for what was about to come.

"Get ready." He warned Kagome. He knew they were going to spring out of their hiding spot and attack all at once. He felt Kagome nod and felt her power increase as she narrowed her eyes.

Within a matter of seconds, a shrill cry was heard, echoing all throughout the forest. All that could be seen was a rush of black coming from all directions, which headed for both Sesshoumaru and Kagome's direction.

…--0oo&oo0--…

Back in the Sengoku Jidai, Inuyasha didn't know how to tell the others that Kagome was gone. He thought it was too soon to tell them of what just happened and how she was with the most cold-hearted bastard in all of Japan. He still blamed himself for failing to protect her, and felt completely horrible.

He was about to get back into camp when he smelled a scent he knew all too well.

"Kikyo. What are you doing here?" The words spilled out of his mouth so softly, yet demandingly. He felt somewhat relieved at her presence, but still had that heavy burden that was heaved in his chest like a ton of weight.

Kikyo emerged from behind a tree trunk. She approached him from behind and placed her cold hands on his shoulders. She felt him tense up, but then he relaxed at his touch, while he still had his back to her.

"I failed her, Kikyo. I failed to protect Kagome." Inuyasha said as he hung his head low.

Kikyo, on the other hand, frowned at what Inuyasha just said. Yet, despite the bitterness that she felt deep inside her, she continued to comfort him.

"You did your best, Inuyasha." Kikyo reassured him.

"No, I didn't." Inuyasha defied her. "I promised to protect her and I failed. She was my friend." He reminisced on the times that he spent with Kagome the minute she pulled the arrow off the Goshinboku fifty years after Kikyo had sealed him. The fights, the adventures, the drama, the numerous amounts of "osuwaris" or "sit, boys", all flooded his mind as he traced the outline of the prayer beads with his clawed finger.

"What do I do now, Kikyo? Kagome's not here to sense the jewel shards." Inuyasha asked out of the blue.

As if by cue, Kikyo's smiled darkly, making her appearance wicked than it already was. She stroked his shoulder once more and entwined her fingers with his.

"I can sense the jewel shards for you, my love."

Inuyasha thought for a moment. Kikyo's proposal did make sense. Since Kagome isn't here at the moment, Kikyo is the only alternative that could also see shards. To purify the shards was another question, but for now, he wasn't too concerned about the shards' purification. Not only would Inuyasha have his love by his side at all times, but now she would also help him find the remaining of the shards before it fell on Naraku's hands. Having decided to go with the suggestion, Inuyasha complied. He then brought his deceased lover into a tight hug and shared a passionate kiss with her. It was settled. Kikyo would take Kagome's place.

Kikyo pulled away to catch air. She leaned her head on Inuyasha's well-built torso. "Inuyasha, what about the others? How will they deal with the news?" she asked.

Inuyasha stopped caressing her back and thought about the others' reaction for a moment. Shippo would be devastated and would probably hate him for driving Kagome away, Sango would be disappointed, and so will Miroku. They really had no choice but to go along with his plan since Kagome wasn't around to be of much help so they will eventually have to accept Kikyo.

"Don't worry about them. I'll deal with that matter when it comes." Inuyasha reassured Kikyo. He then captured her lips in his for another round of their sweet, deep kiss under the moonlight.

…--0oo&oo0--…

…--0oo&oo0--…

* * *

Yeah yeah, whack chapter, but oh well. The REAL adventure's soon to follow, just chill, and be patient. So far, I don't think this story's THAT interesting so yeah…I might drop it…I don't know. But anyway, I'd like to thank special people who were kind enough to leave reviews. I love you all again.

One more thing...I've noticed that my chapters are like...in the thousands when it came to word count. Jeez, like this one had like..9456 or something like that. I don't know. Oh well, that was random, but oh well. You think I should cut down on the word count?

Anyway, honorable mentions. :AHEM:

**Jade:** Thanks for pointing that out. I knew something was fishy with my story, but at least you pointed out one. That really helped me. Then again, I don't know much about this stuff and I'm still learning! People like you help lots! Thanks again! Oh, and I'm glad you like it so far. :)

**Hikaritenshi2000:** It's good to know I have someone to turn to in case I ever run into problems. Thanks a bunch. I appreciate it dearly.

**PlayingWithDemons:** Thanks for all the reviews. Thanks for understanding my situation too! I hope it's not boring you. If it does or something's up with it, then feel free to make any suggestions and whatnots. Thankiez!

**Blueyesangel1186:** OMG OMG OMG! I LOVE YOU! (lol) I'll try to update more now that I have Christmas Break coming up and stuff. I'll try to make the story more interesting as well to make you happy. Thanks for liking it so far. I'm flattered, yo! ;D

**SexySesshoumaru: **Thanks a bunch! I'll try as much as I can:)

**xxxx Please guys…REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS !REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS ! You guys keep me going!xxxx**

XoXo --- x.Jess.x


End file.
